The Way Out
by Forfun100
Summary: Jason Grace, Hollywood's Golden Boy, is dying on the inside. With a screwed up home life and friends who just don't understand, he is lost in a daze of 'normalcy'. The only way out is to be himself. But how can you be yourself when someone else has been living for you? Well, you start doing things just to do them. And sooner or later... You find out what it means to be alive.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello beautiful, as you can see it's new story time! My other PJO story is coming to an end so here is another one! I'm super excited about this one I hope you are too. I'm going to just give you a heads up by saying this will be a longer story and this is not going to be on a set schedule until my other PJO story is completed. I think that's it dearest, read away._**

It's still dark when I wake up, it always is. I jump out of bed and throw on my running clothes. It takes me no time at all to get out the door and begin my morning run. I'll be able to squeeze in a second mile today if I hurry.

Running is a part of my daily routine. Actually I'm lying. Running is _the _part of my daily routine. It's just a tick of mine. If I don't run in the morning there is something seriously wrong with me.

I keep an eye on my watch. When five o'clock rolls around I turn to head home. I'm back just barely before six. My time has been better.

I walk past my sister's room on the way to my own. She's left her door open for once, showing my father that she doesn't have sex every night with her boyfriend. This is our standard routine. Showing our father that we aren't corrupt child stars.

Knowing she's asleep I rush to shower first, giving her an excuse to still be in bed. It's Wednesday, the day she takes me into school on her way to classes of her own.

Even over the sound of the pounding water, I can hear our father wake Thalia up in his usual abrasive fashion. He quickly realizes that I'm in the shower and shouts through the door, "Hurry up so your sister can get in there."

"Kay!" I call back jumping out of the shower and throwing my clothes on, even as my still wet skin makes tugging on my clothes a rough and difficult process. My jeans stick to my legs as I wrap up my bathroom routine.

When I open the door I see Thalia standing there.

She nudges my shoulder as she walks into the bathroom. It's a thanking nudge. She's having a tough first week back to school and our father's constant overbearing attitude hasn't been helping much.

Thalia is four years older than me. I've just started my junior year of high school, two weeks ago, and she's started her sophomore year of college just this week.

I grab my book bag and head down for breakfast.

My father is sitting at the head of the table, laptop open, coffee mug in hand, and a plate of breakfast meats sitting in front of him.

"Morning, Jace."

"Morning." I reply taking a plate of eggs and bacon from our cook. I mutter a quick thank you, before taking the seat opposite my father.

"And what's on the agenda today?" He asks looking up from his laptop a slight bit.

I hold back a sigh. He's planned my day again, "School?"

"Yes. And your audition. After that who are you hanging out with?"

"Leo and Percy."

"And?"

"Reyna?"

"No, Annabeth. Remember?" He gives me a look for a quick moment before returning to his laptop. I shovel food into my mouth to suppress the groan threatening to escape my throat.

Normal. When your father's half of your publicity agent, this is normal. Schedules for everything, even when and how you take a shit.

"You ready to go Jason?" Thalia comes into the kitchen with her books and keys in hand.

"Yeah." I start standing up.

"Thalia aren't you going to eat?" Our father asks. I grab the remaining bacon off my plate and hand it to her.

"Let's go." I tell her.

"Have a good day." He calls as Thalia and I exit the kitchen and head to her car.

Once we sit down and have our things flung to the back seat, she stares at the bacon I handed to her. She looks at me and smiles before eating it, "You ready?"

"Course."

She nods backing out of the garage. As she drives me to school the radio plays some soft rock.

"What are you doing tonight?" She asks.

"Audition, hanging out with friends." I say.

"No, I mean like what are _you _doing. As in you, Jason Grace, seventeen year old boy who deserves the right to plan his own life."

"Counting down the days until I'm brave enough." I say.

"Make today that day Jace."

"I can't." She gives me a look, "I want to do this audition, Thalia."

"And you also want to be with Reyna for real."

"I also want to be a purple Brachiosaurus."

"Ha ha Jason. You're so clever." She reaches over and ruffles my hair briefly before turning her attention back to the road.

"I've been told." I smile while smoothing my hair back into place.

"But don't you want to come hang out with Luke and I? You can bring Reyna."

"Thanks Thalia, but it's a little early in the school year to try to get dad too angry. Even you know that."

She glances down at the radio, "Hey listen." She turns it up and I realize very quickly that it's my chart topping song.

"Please no." I say changing the station.

"You're no fun Jason." She says.

"I am too, just not right now."

"Why not?"

"It's the third week of school for me and I already have three tests on the same day."

"It's your junior year Jason enjoy it."

"I'm trying Thalia."

"Well, try harder. Make new friends. Join math club. Do something."

We pull into the school parking lot just then, "I'll keep joining math club in the back of my mind."

"Right here after school?" She asks laughing off my comment.

"Unless anything changes." I say reaching around to hug her.

"Ew boy cooties." She makes a fake grossed out face. I lick her cheek in response. She pushes me back but is laughing, "You're twelve."

"And your face tastes like makeup." I return climbing out of the car.

"Later loser."

I slam the door and walk directly to the courtyard. The place my friends and I are always meeting up.

Percy and Frank are there already.

"Hey Jason." Frank notices me first.

"Hey guys."

"You ready for that Pre-Cal test?" He asks.

"Is that a real question?" I return with a question.

"Yeah Frank, math genius right here." Percy points to me, "By the way can we trade brains for a period? I really need to pass my bio test."

"What period do you have it?"

"Sixth."

"Sure, I'm normally brain dead in Health anyway."

"Sweet."

"Hey, you both going to that audition after school?" Frank asks curiously.

"Yeah." Percy and I respond.

"I heard the book was great." I say.

"Books are for people who don't know how to read sparknotes." Percy claims.

"Excuse you, books are beautiful." Annabeth says walking up and kicking Percy's leg from behind.

"Hello there, crazy." Frank greets her.

"Hello, baby man." She returns with a wink. Frank looks legitimately defeated by her comment but we get him laughing not a moment later.

Percy wraps his arms around Annabeth's waist and kisses her temple, "Love you."

"You better." She says jokingly before kissing him.

"Gross." I chuckle. Annabeth smacks my chest causing Frank to snort at my pain.

"Are we hanging out after the audition today?" Frank changes the subject.

"I'm for it." Annabeth says.

"Cool." Percy says.

"We can invite Reyna." Annabeth nudges me.

"Nah... I mean... We don't have to."

"We should though."

"But let's not." I argue.

Annabeth gives me her mom eyes, "Jason man up."

"I have by moving on." This argument happens way too often.

"It wasn't fair the way your-"

"I know that." I cut her off, "It's just. It's... Don't worry about it okay?"

"Jason, it wasn't fair and you know it."

"Yeah, I do. That's why I don't want to open up that can of worms." I look around a bit.

"Jas-"

"Where're Leo and Hazel?"

"Leo's probably late again. Hazel is doing her audition in the morning. She said she'd be late to lunch." Frank answers.

The first bell rings causing us to disperse as we head our separate ways. Leo barely makes it to our shared first period AP Pre Cal class. Frank has this class after lunch and expects us to give him a full blow-by-blow account of the test. Math comes easily to me, so my answer probably won't make him feel any better.

It's during my fourth period Physics that I get a surprise.

I'm called to the office ready to leave. When I get down to the main office I see my father with my agent, Lupa.

"Um, hey." I say as I reach them.

"There's been a problem." My father says and we leave the building, only to be surrounded by camera flashes.

I swear, we barely make it out alive. Bright lights and questions I can neither hear nor answer are screamed from the photographers. My father tries to play the defensive dad card by attempting and failing to hide me away from the cameras, it's really weird actually.

When all three of us have piled into my father's car the driver takes off immediately. My father starts our conversation over.

"Nothing like a good showering of attention before a big meeting huh Jace?"

"Sure, dad." The word dad almost stings coming out of my mouth. I pull out my phone to text Thalia.

"Jason," Lupa says as I send the text.

"Yeah?" I ask, shoving my phone down into my backpack.

"Part of your album was leaked early this morning." She makes this sound like it's a huge deal, but I can only ask myself _who cares?_

I didn't really love any of the songs on this album anyway, it's not like I'm completely shattered by the news. It's not devastating. It's not even remotely heart breaking.

"The worst part is your fans aren't happy." She says pulling out her iPad. She's pulled up some comments on the leaked album.

"Not his best work."

"He's done better."

"Maybe this is a filler for the real thing?"

"Are you sure this is him? It kind of sucks."

I hand Lupa her iPad back, "So?"

"So? Jason, we have to record new songs! You need songs that touch your fans. You need to make them love you. Show them you're the same lovable boy every girl in America wants to date."

I nod quickly, only I'm thinking that no one should want to date me. My life is a fucking train wreck.

"But first, your audition was pushed up to an hour from now. They're considering you for the lead." My father tells me, "Now you know how I feel about pulling strings, so do well enough that I don't have to do that." I nod, but not as quickly, "Come on Jace, put a smile on." I'm an actor, so it looks real enough, "That's the heart winning smile I love."

The audition is quick. I say that only because I sincerely love acting and it makes the time pass quickly. I leave feeling confident but try not to get my hopes up. My other friends are auditioning and I've been in movies with them before, always as a side character. I've never as good as they are. I can't compete with them and that's fine with me. Just as long as I can act, I'm happy.

My mood is generally good though, my spirits are high. At least if I get a part I can hang out with some of my friends who will surely be cast. But when I get back in the car my feelings change dramatically.

"So we need six new songs." Lupa says, "Maybe a bonus for the CD version."

My father is still texting but finds time to say, "Oh and you're staying home tonight, you've got to write a song for tomorrow."

I nod, only because if I open my mouth I'm going to say something stupid. I always say something stupid.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am. I can't even begin to describe how frustrated he's making me. My stupid father running my stupid life. I can't say that though. Not to anyone. Not ever.

We drive back home and I'm locked up in my bedroom. He thinks leaving me in here will inspire me. But it really doesn't. I don't know what in god's name he thinks is inspiring about sky blue walls decorated with awards and memorabilia from tours and trips I've taken. Those, my books, a bed hardly big enough to fit my entire body on, a desk with a closed laptop, and a window opening up to the backyard are the only things in my room.

If he wants me inspired he shouldn't just leave me in this childish little room. But it's not my choice. Nothing is.

I stare at my ceiling trying to brainstorm. I could write about how much I hate my father, but even if the fans like it people talk about how ungrateful I am for all that I have.

In my loss for inspiration, I pickup my phone and see a text from Percy.

_**Where are you, bro?**_

**In Alaska learning to hula with the polar bears.**

_**Dude that trip was set for the summer I can't believe you left without me.**_

**Sorry bro. When the polar bears call you've gotta go.**

_**Reyna's here.**_

**Then maybe it's for the best I'm not.**

_**Jason you need to man up.**_

**Yeah, yeah. I don't have to do anything but eat.**

_**We have my mom making blue cookies if you come over.**_

**Tempting, but no I **Mid text I hear Thalia storm into the house, **gotta go.**

I've learned how to pick my lock from the inside... Don't ask. So escaping the confines of my room isn't hard.

"I am twenty years old. You can't tell me where to live." She says sharply when I get within hearing range.

"I am your father, young lady."

"And some father you've been."

"I've kept you fed, employed, dressed, given you a roof over your head, given you an education. I've given you everything anyone could want."

"I want my little brother and my mom back." She must be pissed if she's bringing up mom, "At least with her we were allowed to do what _we _wanted! You can't keep me locked up forever!"

"You're not some abused damsel in distress!" But she is, both of us are I guess. I see him grab her, shaking her shoulders viciously. A cycle I've seen far too many times.

"You don't get to tell me who I am and who I am not. I am old enough to _decide_ who I am and what I want for my life." She's fighting back like I've seen too often. I have hope that maybe tonight's the night she wins.

He presses her up to the wall and grips her jaw forcing her to look at him, "Listen to your father young lady! What you want is to be out on the streets, with that good for nothing boyfriend of yours! What do you want? To end up pregnant and alone? Because let me tell you that little jerk won't stick around once your money is gone and he's gotten enough sex out of you. I have not raised a whore."

He hasn't raised us at all.

"I am a responsible person. I'm not just-"

"You're a child who doesn't know any better." He snaps, "You're just a stupid girl who thinks life is so easy because I've made it easy for you."

"I'm not-"

"No. Thalia. You will not be getting your own apartment and you will not be leaving again tonight." He loosens his hold on her to my immediate relief, "You're just not ready to go out into the world on your own. You're too young and reckless."

"I'm not so young anymore. What makes you think that I'm so stupid when I've proved to you time and time again I can take good care of myself?"

"Go upstairs princess." She hates it when he pulls that card. I wonder if tonight will be the night she's brave enough to stand her ground. She tells me to be brave but I never am. And sadly neither is she.

"Father-"

"Upstairs. Now." She's lost her fight, just as we always have. Nothing is new tonight and my hope depletes instantly. Most nights are like this. This is normal. Normal is good... right?

I sprint back to my own room and lock it before Thalia or our father make their way up the stairs.

I get a text from Thalia the moment I've settled back into my pretend working position. I'm really doing homework. Not music stuff. My father would be furious Irritatingly enough.

**_Jason, can you come to my room?_** I quietly make my way to her. When I get into her bedroom I see her crying even in the dark room. All her lights are off, the only light comes from the street lamps. The sickly yellow light streams in through childish curtains that still hang in her room.

"I don't want to do it again." She says it so quietly I only know what to do because it's what we always do.

I take her in a firm assuring hug and whisper like she always does to me, "It was a beautiful day. Don't let it get away. Beautiful day. Touch me, take me to that other place. Reach me, I know I'm not a hopeless case.

"What you don't have you don't need it now. What you don't know you can feel it somehow. What you don't have you don't need it now. Don't need it now. Was a beautiful day."

"Gotta love U2" She chuckles hugging me back.

We sing U2 for each other. Specifically Beautiful Day. It's almost our song in a way. It reminds us that there once was a beautiful place we knew together. When we were young and everything was right in the world.

Now, at time like these, it's almost like we're back at the beginning of the song. You know, the part where it talks about not moving anywhere, and you're stuck where you are. But we don't like that part, we like the part that tells us we'll find a way out someday.

We like that part that gives us hope.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't actually go to sleep. I start my run at two and get back at five. I'm not tired, I'm really not. I pull all-nighters like this all the time. I'll probably pull one tonight too. Then maybe I'll sleep on Friday when Thalia's out with Luke.

I shower and dress before six. I'm out the door by six thirty and at school five minutes after that.

I park in the student lot and walk into school casually. I have my hands shoved deep into my pockets, music filling my head through my earbuds. The world around me is dead, empty except for me and my ipod. The hallways are hallow, lacking in the life they normally contain.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It's either my father or Thalia. Whoever it is, I don't feel like reading their texts at the moment.

I go to the classes I missed yesterday. Looks like I'm spending my lunch period in Psych and English. Can you hear my enthusiasm?

After wandering around for a few minutes, I find a place to sit in the hallway closest to the cafeteria. Almost no one comes here due to school food being utter crap. An added bonus of privet school is that all of us are old enough to drive somewhere else. It's great not suffering through school lunches like when we were in grade school.

I start trying to read The Crucible for my English test. However I don't like it much, so once I've skimmed through enough details I put it down and pull out my phone.

_**Saw you left early son. Wanted to tell you that right after school you have a meeting with your song writers, make sure to have something prepared so not to go in blind. Oh, and Friday you're going to the movies with Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, and Leo. It's a 'friend thing' son. Have a good day.**_

I roll my eyes as I close my phone.

Just then, the door to the outside opens. I look over to see a girl in a four sizes too big Wash U hoodie and skin tight jeans walk into the building. She's carrying a mountain of textbooks, balancing them in one arm, while texting at the same time.

I stand up and walk over to help her out. I've got nothing better to do anyway.

"Need a hand?" She looks up quickly as if I've startled her.

"Uh, no I've-" Her phone rings in her hand, causing her to drop her books. "Crap." She turns off her phone and starts picking up what she'd dropped.

I grab three of her books, one is for Pre-Cal, another is Bio, and a third is for Honors English.

"Where's your locker?" I ask as she stands up.

"Um... I uh." She sighs a bit, "This way."

"Cool." When I stand next to her I see she must be five foot, maybe shorter. In comparison to me she might as well be a midget.

She takes me to her locker, which is right by the stairwell I'll need to climb to get to Physics.

"You didn't happen to get the Psych homework did you?"

Apparently we share a Psychology class, "No, I got out of school early yesterday."

"Oh." She sighs. I think I've shot down her only idea for a conversation, "Thanks for the help." She says throwing some of her books in her locker.

"No problem. I'm Jason by the way."

"I know that." She says quietly, "We have Psych and Pre-Cal together."

"Right." I say.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" She asks quietly.

"No, I'm just tired is all."

She nods, "I get that." She lets the silence slip into the gap between us, "Well, I have to go to Psych and see if we had any homework."

"Let me know if we do alright?"

"Sure." She nods, "See you first period."

"See you." I wave a bit as she takes off. And we share a Pre Cal class, I'm super observant. Can't you tell?

I think about going to talk to Percy and Annabeth, see if they'll forgive me for last night. I decide against it. I instead walk up and down the Math hallway, waiting to go in with the rest of my peers.

Right before the bell rings, as I'm walking back to my own classroom, I notice the girl in the Wash U hoodie get slammed into a locker.

It takes a moment for me to register what I've seen, and in that moment she's thrown to the ground before being kicked three times. The guy walks away as if nothing around him has changed. She stands up and walks into our Pre-Cal room without missing a beat.

What did I just see? It was like a normal interaction. As normal as saying hello to someone you know, she was thrown to the ground.

The bell rings before I can answer my question. I walk into Pre-Cal and put my stuff in my seat when Leo intercepts me.

"Hey, where were you last night? We went to the pizza place without you. And Percy's place afterward. We thought you were coming."

"I was busy." I say looking at the girl in the Wash U hoodie who now has a hand stuck to the side of her face. I think she's bleeding.

"You're always busy. We're supposed to be kids remember?"

"Yeah, it was just... My album got leaked and Lupa's having me record some new music."

"That sucks man."

"Yeah, but Friday's still on."

"It better be." He tells me. I want to talk to that girl again, but Mrs. Griffin stands up to start the lesson. I try to intercept the girl again as we leave for second period but Frank comes up and starts asking me for help on the worksheet we'd been doing in our shared second period.

Second period U.S. History passes quickly, along with third period Art. Fourth period Physics isn't painful either.

I head to English for my test which is surprisingly and thankfully easy. My Psych test is quick as well. We had no homework. I'm sure that girl was pleased.

I go to where I had been sitting in the morning because the least I can do now is get a head start on my homework.

Only, when I get there I see the girl in the Wash U hoodie, sitting where I had been earlier that morning, getting some kind of homework done, eating a salad.

"Hey." I greet her.

She looks up and offers a half smile. She takes an earbud out of her left ear.

I decide not to ask about what I saw in the hallway as I slide down beside her.

"Do you get the Pre Cal assignment?" I ask.

"Oh, yeah. But hey, you want to help me out with number thirty four? I'm kind of stuck." I wonder if she's joking because the problem is so ridiculously easy.

"Sure." I decide, because I want to see if she's serious of not, to lie, "So since this is for trig you can just divide that into that and-"

"Are you stupid?" She asks suddenly.

"Wow." I didn't mean to say that but um... I really mean it. She looks just as shocked as I feel before she starts laughing.

"I'm sorry." She laughs, "I just... holy crap!"

I start laughing with her, "Smart girl. So why ask for help exactly?"

"Just thought I'd make small talk." She says completing the problem correctly while laughing at herself.

"Okay then." I pull out my homework and start working on it, "So where were you yesterday that caused you to miss an assignment?"

"Audition." She says.

"Same."

"Oh really?" She seems genuinely curious.

"Yeah, that and I have to write some new songs because my album got leaked."

"Harsh." I nod at her acknowledgement, "So you're a singer or an actor?"

"Both, kind of."

"Kind of?"

I shrug, "Singing hasn't been the same for me in awhile."

"I'm sorry."

"What about you. You're an actor too?"

"No, this is kind of my first audition actually."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." She leaves it at that but I know there's more. I decide to switch topics.

"So... Do you get knocked into lockers often?" I look up at her shocked face.

"Uh..." She doesn't answer me for a moment and I suddenly wonder if this is normal.

"It isn't right?"

"Well... It is actually."

"What?" I ask in a tone that reflects my disbelief.

"I get knocked around pretty often. But I mean... Whatever right?" She says almost nervously.

"No, not whatever." I say putting my pencil down.

"It doesn't mean much to me anymore."

"Getting hit should mean something to you. You're getting beat up."

"I wouldn't say beat up. Just a bit roughed up." She smiles a bit.

"That's not okay."

"I'll deal."

"You shouldn't."

"That doesn't mean I won't." She says, "I mean, think about it. I only have two more years of putting up with it. High school is the farthest thing from the real world you can get, after all. Someday I'll be far enough away."

"Someday isn't close enough." I say hearing myself in her justification.

"Well, it'll come eventually right? I'll get away."

I look down at my paper, "But don't you deserve better?" _Don't you?_

She shrugs, "I don't always feel like I do."

"Really?"

"Don't you ever feel like that?"

"How?"

"Like you deserve the bad things in your life more than the good?" I nod a little as she starts laughing again, "I'm not crazy. Just passive."

"Is there a difference?" I ask with a smile which gets me another laugh.

"Not so sure anymore. Oh, by the way there's no homework for Psych."

"I heard. Hey, what did you get for number twenty nine?" The rest of lunch is us talking briefly and then working through a few math problems together. As the bell rings we stand up together.

"So, what class do you have next?"

"English." She answers

"Honors English if I recall."

"And how would you know that?" She asks.

"Fortune teller." I say.

"In that case, take me to my class." She dares me.

"...I have Spanish." She laughs at my excuse.

"Well then, until seventh period." She says heading down the hallway.

I waltz into fifth period Spanish. Normally, I hate Spanish, even with Leo and Reyna helping me out. Today I keep thinking about seventh period Psych.

And suddenly, as Señora Alvarez gives us our assignment, I get a brilliant idea for a song. Once I've finished my work I pull out a notebook and start writing.

At first I don't know how to put it into words, but as I write I see an image painted with words. I know I want to write a song for her.

I jot down quick ideas, I write what I want to happen in the music at each word. By the end of sixth period health, I have a song written. I wonder if she's ever listened to my music, I wonder if she cares about that, I wonder why she's here if she's never been an actress until now... I wonder what her name is.

I sit in Psych, in my now usual desk, right next to the exit with one person in front of me, the teachers desk a few feet away. I notice the girl in the Wash U hoodie sits only a seat behind me in the next row. I smile to myself plotting how I can figure out her name.

Mr. Harper walks into class and starts giving instructions for the rest of the class.

"Now you two." He says as the others begins the projects that he already discussed and explained last class, "I'm going to let you do this part together. We've started our unit on Behavioral Analysis so here are the notes. I'll give you the list of projects after you finish this and then you can get started." We both nod looking at the worksheet.

"So, how was Spanish?"

I smile a bit, "Alright." I respond sneaking a glance at her paper that she's yet to give a heading, "How's Honors English?"

"Honorable in the sense that we get to pick some rather risqué books."

"How so?"

"Oh, you wouldn't expect a private High School specifically for the rich and spoiled to allow Juniors the privilege of reading Sophie's Choice."

"What's so bad about that?" I ask.

She chuckles, "Just the fact that it has one of the most graphic deflowering scenes imaginable."

"Oh..." I chuckle with her, "That'll be awkward to talk about with your teacher. 'So what happened in your read last night?' 'Uh, well you know. He tore into her like a gorilla tearing through a paper bag to get some bananas.' That'll end well." She dropped her pencil to laugh a bit more.

"Oh god now I wish I'd picked that one." She says. After a few moments she stands up to turn her paper in. She quickly scribbles down a heading but turns it in before I can see it.

We have to pick a behavior to study and make a power point on. I have to study the behavior of people suffering from Adjustment Disorders. How wonderful.

"So..." I say to her as we take our seats.

"So?"

"What did you pick?"

"The only thing left, Mood Disorders. I guess everyone found Dementia and Anorexia really interesting and forgot about Bi Polar Disorder."

I laugh at her statement, "I guess so, considering I got Adjustment Disorders."

"Oh goodie, you get to talk about why school should be canceled because it's stressing out students."

"You don't take this class very seriously." I say.

"Well when your teacher doesn't either." She whispers.

"You've got me there."

"I'd like it a lot more if I wasn't teaching myself."

"I can relate."

"What about you. Do you take this class seriously?"

"I do actually. School is important to me."

"Really, and why is that?"

"Because it's not important to my... dad."

"Your dad?"

"It's uh... It's complicated."

"Can't be as complicated as my family." She scoffs, it's a challenge. I'll win.

"I'll take you up on that." I smile, "But, if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about this in public."

She chuckles and looks up from her textbook, "Okay then, give me your hand."

"My hand?"

"Yeah, your hand." I hold out my hand as she grabs a purple pen from her backpack. She jabs the pen into my skin to the point I can feel the bones move as she writes out what I assume is her number, "Call or text me any time."

"Old fashioned are we?"

"You have no clue." She says packing her books and such.

"And where are you going?" I ask as the bell rings. I hastily throw my things into my backpack, hopefully not appearing too caught off guard.

"Last period photography." She answers heading toward the door, "Text me." She says as she exits. I pick up my books and rush to English on the other side of the school. We have a free period after we write an essay.

I find myself with half the period left, which I spend entering the girls number into my phone. As of now, I have dubbed her Wash U, until further notice. I rub her number off my hand as I start to work on my song. I'm revising the lyrics so it flows better. With the way it's turning out it resembles a poem more than a song. But I like it that way.

While I'd like to call it _Ode to Wash U_, that'd be a bit weird since A I don't know her name and B my fans don't know her. Instead I'll call it _Speak Up_. As I was writing it the song morphed in and out of being for Thalia and being for Wash U. I hope it's good enough for the both of them.

I'm anxious to get to the recording studio now that I have this song for Wash U and it's been perfected. Yes, I did say perfected.

Last period has seriously taken forever.

But when it's over, it's over.

I run to my car and hurry to the studio. Lupa and my father are waiting. They seem pleased with my timing.

"Jace, glad to see you here on time." My father says walking up to me a wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "We were just talking to your song writers and they think they've got a hit."

"Don't bother with them, I've got one." I say, "Lupa told me to make them feel something, and that's what this is going to do."

"Well let's hear it then." Lupa smiles at me.

"Right now?"

"One second." She says checking the studio for occupants before ushering me in.

She allows me a few minutes to set up. I walk up to the piano, quickly shuffling the final draft into the correct order, and wait for her to tell me it's alright.

"Whenever you're ready Jason." She says nodding for me to start.

It's fast, I'll tell you that. I can't exactly tell you how it goes, but here are the words.

_Girlie you don't belong beneath their feet_

_Because you're better than that_

_You're a force they can't defeat._

_You belong in the winners circle_

_Not the hell bound track_

_They've got you at_

_Can't you see_

_You're so much stronger_

_Than they'll ever be_

_...~..._

_To me_

_I see past it all_

_The bruises and pain_

_All the things you can't explain_

_The heart wrenching beatings you take_

_Before my very eyes_

_I see you dissipate_

_Into these white walls of so called safety_

_You can't escape_

_They're everywhere_

_The killers of kindness_

_You're a martyr of silence_

_Speak up_

_...~..._

_With those beautiful words_

_You allowed me to hear_

_I won't go away_

_Because I know something they don't_

_...~..._

_That you're lovely, smart, and alive_

_You're one of a kind_

_If only I could take this pain for you_

_I'd show you how it hurts_

_To watch you writhe in pain_

_Upon the polished sex stained floors_

_In an institution of failure and hate_

_...~..._

_You've learned ideal camouflage_

_Now it's time to step into the light_

_Show yourself_

_And show your face_

_Because you are worth every minute_

_...~..._

_And if they can't see_

_The one I do_

_Standing tall and strong_

_Like I know you could._

_I'll be here_

_If you need_

_Someone to believe_

_You_

_...~..._

_You can run_

_You can hide_

_But you can't cover up_

_That you're dying inside_

_Fall into love_

_Fall into me_

_Because everyone deserves that much_

_...~..._

_When you're all alone_

_And blood sticks to your cheeks_

_You know where to find me_

_You know where to look_

_I'll be waiting for the day_

_You smile for me_

_Smile for them_

_Cause they don't know_

_...~..._

_Someday_

_You'll be the hero_

_No matter what you say_

_And I know someday seems too far_

_But hush now_

_You're okay_

_I won't let that soul I see_

_Slip away_

I'm sure that no one expects this from me. But there's a passion in my voice that hasn't been there in a long, long time. I haven't enjoyed singing like this for, what must be, years now.

Beside all of this, I'm proud. The way this song feels, is just right to me. I am proud, I can't help it.

And even the shocked expressions of Lupa and my father can't make me stop feeling proud of myself.

"Well that was-"

"Great." Lupa cuts off my father enthusiastically, "It was so raw and personal. Your fans will love it. And you know what? I think this is the one we'll release because that's the Jason we want them to see." She points to the door so we can talk outside.

"Stunning performance." She shakes my hand, "I want another one before September is over. Maybe a third if we can manage. I would love to release one of your new songs and do a music video for it. Maybe we can bring back that one choreographer you loved so much." She starts typing on her phone.

"Let's go on home, son." My father says slapping my back.

"Yes, and pass your classes. I don't need you failing now." She and Thalia are the only ones who even ask me about grades. Thalia's the only one who actually cares because of, I don't know, college. Lupa only cares because a failing star is not a rising star. She ask though, that counts for something. Right?

"Come on, Jace, dinner should be up by now." It's funny when he plays the I'm-a-great-dad role in public. It's ridiculous that no one questions his false fatherhood when it seems so obvious to me.

But he did give me my acting skills so it's no wonder no one even questions what goes on at home.

I'm thankful for the lonely drive home. I have time to think. What should I say? How should I cover this up? He was pissed, he thinks it's about someone and I won't get away with telling him I just wrote it because. I need to think up some story.

Driving up to my house is intimidating. I'm going to get it from him.

I step inside and am immediately stopped by his arm folded stance and towering frame.

"So, who's this song for huh?" He's demanding of me, like I've just been caught having sex with some nameless person, or been found out to be getting drugs from someone. You know, things a normal dad would be pissed about. But no, this is over a stupid song.

"It was for a friend." I say.

"A friend? Boy or girl?"

"Girl."

"And who, might I ask, is this girl?" He thinks it's Reyna, maybe Thalia. Either would give the both of us hell. He thinks I'm still in love with Reyna and as I notice this I also take notice of how incredibly red with anger his face has grown.

He wonders if this is my way of standing up for Thalia. If I'm trying to lead people to question my home life. One thing is for sure; I can't, under any circumstances let him believe this song means anything to me.

"You don't know her." I say.

"And who is she?"

I decide to go with the story I half convinced myself I believe, "Her name _was_ Emily. She killed herself last year because she was bullied. The song was for her." I'm afraid of giving too many details, then he'll assume I'm lying to him.

Instead he half smiles while unfolding his arms, "Well, that sure is a shame. A sixteen year old taking their own life." I know he's burning to say something along the lines of, _the fans will love it_. I'm dying for him to say it so I can justifiably smack the living crap out of him. Well I mean, in my mind I've already slapped him and I probably wouldn't have the guts to do it now. But I like to pretend I'm braver than I really am.

If this song _were_ for Emily I'd hate him even more. All he cares about is the story he'll get to sell.

"I have homework." I say turning toward the stairs, beginning the trek up to my room.

"Good work today Jace, keep it up." I skip stairs, taking large strides and closing the door to my bedroom. I'm done dealing with him today.

"Homework. Pre Cal, Psych, English." I list off the work I have to do before typing up a quick rough draft of my English essay. In between my last few Pre Cal problems I text Wash U.

**Greetings fellow human. Sorry I didn't text sooner.**

_**It's cool. Glad you're still alive.**_

**That makes two of us.**

_**Whacha up to?**_

**Starting the power point.**

_**Ah and when should we skip schools due to anxiety?**_

**You'll have to find out when we present on Monday.**

_**I'm so anxious. XD**_

**I can tell :P What are you doing?**

_**Reading Miss. Bronte's Jane Eyre.**_

**Oh joy.**

_**I love this book don't even.**_

**I'm sure, but is there a graphic deflowering scene?**

_**Alas no, you don't get to see any shagging. But spoiler alert a crazy lady takes the phrase 'Burn it to the ground' way too seriously.**_

**I say again, oh joy.**

_**It's delightful. **_

**Sounds like it. So are we going to compete with our outlandish familial origins?**

_**I see you are doing your homework. Proud of you. ;D**_

**Lol, seriously though.**

_**It's a bit impersonal don't you think?**_

**I guess.**

_**I have a better idea. You free Sunday?**_

**Hmm Sunday... Let's see... Yes Sunday is open.**

_**Playing coy are we?**_

**Your interpretation not mine. ;)**

_**I'll send you directions to some place secret. We can swap stories then.**_

**You're not trying to lure me out for a Texas Chainsaw Massacre night are you?**

_**I wouldn't dare *puts away revved up chainsaw* I will not be eating your limbs. I just think that these stories (mine especially) deserve and need to be told face to face.**_

**Convinced your story is better than mine?**

_**Yes, because mine is funny.**_

**Funny ha ha or Funny my god that's sad?**

_**Funny my god that's sad.**_

**Great, looking forward to it.**

_**Good.**_

**Wait a minute how'd you know it was me and not some serial killer?**

_**Because no one else texts me...?**_

**Then I'll text you often enough that you confuse me with a serial killer next time.**

_**I'll hold you to that.**_

"Jason?" Thalia is knocking at my door.

**Got to go, see you tomorrow.**

"Hey Thalia." I say as she opens the door.

"He sounded mad." She says sitting on my bed.

"He was."

"Are you okay Jason?"

"Yeah I'm okay."

"You sure?"

I think about my now plans for Sunday. I have to suppress a grin. Even though I trust Thalia with my life, I can't tell her this. I don't know why, I just feel like I can't.

"I'm sure Thalia." She stands up and hugs me tightly.

"I'm glad." She kisses the top of my head, "Night loser." She closes my door again.

_**Night Jason. Sleep well.**_

I chuckle to myself wanting desperately to ask Wash U for her name. But I don't. Instead I break my normal cycle of staying up like I had planned this morning. I actually go to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Friday morning comes with a quick run. Sleeping the previous night has really thrown me off schedule. Now, I find myself in a rush to get to first period.

"Jason!" Percy calls to me from down the hallway.

"Hey man!" I call back.

"Where've you been lately?" He asks catching up with me.

"Oh, didn't Leo tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

In a hurry I say, "I'll tell you guys at lunch, it's why I've been so busy. Where we meeting?"

"Friday tradition."

"Ah, got it." The first bell rings interrupting our conversation, "Thanks, Percy, see you at lunch." I slap his back heading up to Pre Cal. Once I climb the stairs and turn to enter my classroom I notice Wash U picking herself off the floor. Her face expressionless, her demeanor defeated.

"Mr. Grace, will you be entering my classroom today or are you going to gawk at the lockers for the next hour?" Mrs. Griffin brings me back. Did she not see Wash U get knocked down? Does she ever see it?

"Sorry, Mrs. Griffin."

"Get your test when you walk in." She says turning back to examine the hallway. She's already let her blind eye wander to other students committing felons more heinous (apparently) than beating up a tiny girl in an oversized hoodie.

I take my seat after picking up my test.

"Jason, what'd you get?" Leo asks excitedly.

"Ninety six, you?"

"Damn! Ninety two. Did you miss number ten?"

I hand him my test as I watch Wash U walk down the row of seats before slumping into her seat. I see a flash of her test as she walks by. A large one hundred circled at the top of her paper. I turn back and offer a quick thumbs up. She returns the gesture with a wink before class starts.

Lunch comes pretty quickly. We all get to our Friday tradition, a burger joint nearby school that we've been visiting since Freshman year, at almost the exact same time. Hazel and Annabeth are leading the pack while Percy, Frank, Nico, and Leo hang back.

"Jason." Hazel greets.

"Where have you been mister?" Annabeth gets straight to the point.

"Hello to you too doll face." I smirk, "Let's order first yeah?"

"I am starving." Percy sighs.

"You're always hungry." Annabeth shoves him as we reach the register.

Each of us orders our meals before taking a seat at our booth.

"So part of my album got leaked." I say.

"That sucks." Frank says taking a sip of soda.

"Yeah, I now have to record some new songs."

"Hence why you're busy." Annabeth says.

"Hence why I'm busy." I agree, "But good news is I can still hang out with you guys tonight."

Annabeth claps her hands together, "Fantastic, we're going to go see that new movie um... Oh! Whatever it's called."

"Real descriptive of you." Leo taunts her.

"Anyway," Annabeth rolls her eyes.

"How's Bianca, Nico?" I ask him.

"She's good, college life is easier than she thought it would be."

"I'm glad. She living on campus?"

"Yeah."

"Percy have you sent in any college apps yet?" Annabeth asks. He shrugs.

"Ooo, you're gonna get it." I tease.

"Fuck you." Percy chuckles.

"Love you too."

I turn my attention to Frank and Hazel as Annabeth begins scolding Percy.

"How've you guys been?"

"Good. Good. We're fine. I mean, like. We're good." Hazel says blushing wildly.

I laugh at her discomfort, "Chill Hazel, I'm asking out of pure curiosity, how two of my closest friends relationship is."

"Yeah, I mean it's not like he's only asking out of common courtesy! Where are the gory details?" Leo jokes just to make them squirm.

"Cut it out asshat." I push him back down in his seat.

"Excuse you, I'm awesome."

"And I'm sexy, sit down."

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Kiss. Kiss. Kiss."

"Percy!" Leo throws his straw trash at him as I simply laugh.

"Hey if Jason and Reyna aren't getting back together any time soon let me at least fantasize you and Jason being a thing." Percy wraps his arms around Annabeth.

"You're just not my type Jason." Leo says putting his hands in front of him.

"I think it'd be for the best if we call things off." I sigh sadly.

"I agree. But we can still be friends." Leo offers his hands.

"Thanks man." I shake his hand.

"You little shits." Percy grumbles.

"You're the one who got your hopes up. Try to butt out of my love life a little and you won't be disappointed." I say as our food arrives.

"Sorry I want my best friend to be with his dream girl."

"And who is that? Is she a real dream girl or is she a knock off? You know I like the Broadway version best."

"Come on Jason you know who I'm talking about."

"Can we please stop talking about her then? It's over, I'm not looking back." I shove half of my burger in my mouth and then immediately regret that decision. While I wrestle with the food in my mouth the others laugh at me, even Nico, who never laughs, has to stop eating so he doesn't choke.

"You idiot!" Leo laughs as I push my cheeks out making room for all the food currently in my mouth.

"Jason how are you ranked fifth in your class?" Annabeth cackles at my utter stupidity and humiliation.

I make a muffled sound that was supposed to be me saying, _You don't need common sense to pass a class._

"Dude, chew and swallow." Frank gasps for breath.

_I'm trying!_

"Stop talking it's gross!" I lean over to her opening my mouth to show her the chewed up food, " Oh my god Jason stop! Close your goddamn mouth." Hazel hides her face in disgust as the others laugh more.

Once I've swallowed enough food to speak again I say, "Fuck you guys."

"We love you." Leo says.

"Go die in a hole."

"No." Leo shoves me.

"What if I had choked? I could have died!"

"It would have been your fault, and we would have called the ambulance once you were unconscious." Annabeth assures me.

"Thanks." I roll my eyes.

"I can imagine the headlines now, 'Actor, Singer, Song Writer Jason Grace Hospitalized For Shoving Half a Burger Into His Mouth.' They'd sell magazines like it was nobody's business."

"'Witness's say he was avoiding a conversation, when suddenly he shoved half of his food into his big ass mouth.'" Percy quotes, "I'd tell them you were being a fucking idiot."

"He had it coming! He had it coming! He only had himself to blame!" Hazel sings for a quick moment.

"Well at the very least you would change all my social media status's to 'chilling with Jesus' right?"

"I don't believe in no Jesus. I believe in we're all gonna fucking die anyway so be a good fucking person and make the world suck less." Percy says, he always says this mind you.

"I'd change it for you bro." Nico assures me.

"And that's why we love Nico. He always has our backs." I toss a fry at him which he catches in his mouth.

"Should we be heading back?" Hazel asks a few minutes later.

"Probably." I answer her standing up to throw away my trash.

"So tonight, meeting at the cinema?" Hazel asks.

"Yeah, out in front so we can see each other come in." Leo says in a sarcastic tone.

"Are you an idiot?" Percy asks Leo, who shrugs ever so slightly.

"Wait in the lobby." Annabeth says.

Percy sighs, "Leo, Jason my house, video games the usual."

"I'm down." I respond.

"Nico as always, you're invited." Annabeth tells him.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've got stuff to do."

"Freshmen." Percy scoffs.

"Hey!" Hazel defends herself.

"Even you hate Freshies, admit it." I respond.

"Fine, Freshmen suck, but that means I'm cooler than that right?" Hazel asks hopefully.

"No, it just means you're more tolerable." Percy responds.

"Hey!"

"I kid, I kid!"

I chuckle on the way out of the diner. The next two class periods have me thinking about the movies with my friends. I'm pretty excited that I'll actually get to hang out with them, it is a rare occasion unless we're filming together. Or you know, my father needs me out in public.

Spanish and Health are quick to pass and soon I'm sitting in Psych, having been given the entire period to work on my already finished power point.

"Hello sir." Wash U sits down right beside me.

"Hello madam."

"How are we this fine Friday?"

"Excellent. And you?"

"Anxious to get home."

"Sounds about right." I nudge her slightly.

"How's your music coming along?"

"Great, I've already recorded one whole song."

"That's fantastic. I think... Right?"

"Yeah it is. Not a singer?"

"Not in public." She laughs.

"A shower pop star then?"

"Oh totally." She laughs.

"And how is Jane?" I ask and watch her eyes gleam with excitement.

"I got to one of the best parts."

"And what would that be?"

"Spoiler alert."

"The book has been out since the 1800s I don't think you need to warn anyone about the spoilers anymore."

"Well Jane just got a crap ton of money and she's going back to see the guy she's in love with and he's still in love with her even though he's half blind and missing one hand because his wife burned down his home."

"Jesus Fucking Christ."

"It's too cute!"

"The hell is wrong with you?"

"Have you ever heard the expression... Read the book?"

"I've never heard of such a concept."

"Then don't judge."

"Oh, I'm judging you so hard core."

"Well then, what are you reading Mr. judgmental?" She folds her arms.

"The Crucible."

"You're still on the Crucible? My god we already took that test."

"What are you reading in class then?"

"Well we have our independent reading assignments due mid September and then we started Hamlet today in class."

"We're not supposed to read Hamlet until senior year."

"Honors English." She shrugs.

"Hm... What book are you reading independently then?"

"You may or may not have heard about it. See, the first independent project of this year is about perspective so I picked Heart of Darkness."

"Never heard of it."

"It's about British colonization of The Congo and the guy leading the operation is super chill about everything. But Britain decides he's not hard enough on the locals and giving them too much freedom."

"Harsh."

"Very."

"You're pretty smart."

"Not to be rude, but um, you've said that to me before." She says nervously, but also has a joking edge to her sentence.

"It deserves to be repeated." I respond.

She pauses for a moment as if trying to figure out how she feels exactly about this statement, "...You ready for Sunday?"

"Yeah, I've just got to finish my note cards." I roll my eyes with a laugh rising in my throat.

"Ah, note cards are very important. Don't want to leave out any juicy details."

"No, we do not. Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Yeah, I am actually. I've got a lot of reading to do." She's being a sarcastic little shit.

"I can tell."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to the movies. I was going to ask if you wanted to come along."

"Why?" She laughs.

"Because you seem pretty lonely."

She looks down at her unopened text book, "I'm not lonely. Just a bit peculiar. Plus Fridays my dad and I watch movies."

"Daddy's girl?"

"Daddy's girl." She laughs in agreement, "He's been trying to get me to watch scary movies for two years now but I still refuse."

"Scary movies frighten you?"

"I won't lie, they totally do."

"What ever happened to conquering your fears?"

"Um, they're not fears, they're completely irrational ideas living inside my brain that I choose not to trigger."

"Scaredy cat." I mumble under my breath.

"Shut up." She laughs.

"At least pretend to work you two." Mr. Harper sighs, not bothering to look up from his work.

She opens her text book and glances down, "Ah. Brains."

"Brains." I respond getting a good laugh out of the both of us.

"You know that squishy thing inside your head is actually grey without blood flow."

"You know your brain thinks it's your heart and gut."

"Brains."

"Brains."

The bell rings quicker than either of us anticipate, "Sunday?" She asks.

"Sunday." I nod watching her rush from the classroom.

After English, which is spent in lecture on The Crucible, I drive straight to Percy's place to hang out with him and Leo before the movies.

His mom is as sweet as ever and his dad is still a mystery.

"Do you even have a dad?" I ask flopping on his couch.

"I was asexually reproduced." He responds.

"That explains the deformities." Leo says poking Percy's face.

"Asshat!" Percy laughs shoving Leo's finger away.

"Slut." I respond.

"You only wish I were." Percy strikes a pose and flexes his muscles for a moment.

"Oh, I'm so hard." I roll my eyes.

"I know you are." Percy says turning around and smacking his butt.

"My next song will be about our forbidden love." I promise.

He quickly strides over to me planting himself in my lap, "Who says we have to be forbidden?" He asks lifting my now blushing face to meet his, "You're so cute when you blush."

"Too far!"

"Safe word."

"Wet panties!" I laugh shoving him off of me.

"Dude, I swear, I sometimes have to legit wonder if you two are gay for each other." Leo chuckles throwing himself onto the couch in front of Percy's TV.

"It's called a bromance Leo." I state.

"Yeah our ship name is Jercy." Percy laughs checking his phone for texts.

"I thought it was Person." I say.

"The fact that you know your ship names." Leo sighs.

"Hey, we have fan fictions written about us, okay?"

"Sweet." Percy says thumbing through his text before sending a quick text out, "I got the lead!"

"Congrats." I smile quickly.

"What did you get?" He asks.

"... I didn't make it actually."

"Oh, that sucks man, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Honestly, I'm trying to focus more on my music at the moment. Maybe next time." I know I'll never get a lead roll if Percy's auditioning. He's a teen heart throb after all.

"I thought you didn't like singing anymore." Leo says as he starts up his video game.

"I'm trying to love it again." I say.

"If you don't love it now you never will. Don't waste your precious time on it. Spend your pretty years acting because you fucking love that." Leo laughs.

"Um excuse you. My pretty years? With my genes I will always be gorgeous."

Leo responds with something about his smoking hot ass and my sister being the one to get all the good genes, but I don't pay attention as my phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I pull it out to see Wash U has sent me a text.

_**Hiya there**_

**Greetings, I thought you were reading missy.**

"Who are you texting?" Percy asks.

"Why do you care?" I return.

"Because I'm your best friend and when you're in my presence. You should only care about me."

"It's for a project in Psych. My partner is making her part of the power point and wants my input on some stuff."

_**I am, but I'm also really bored, I may or may not have run away from watching a horror film with my dad, and you're entertaining.**_

**I'm entertaining?**

_**Yes!**_

**I'm glad to know you think of me as a jester.**

_**That I most certainly do.**_

**Well I'm with friends.**

_**Oh! Sorry, do you want me to stop texting?**_

**No, it's cool. But you're funny when you get worked up.**

_**Jason!**_

Crap she knows my name.

"Hey, Jason, you wanna play? Peach is itching for her turn to beat the shit out of Captain Falcon." Leo diverts my attention. I look up to see them playing Super Smash Bros.

"Yeah sure."

**;D**

_**Rude.**_

**I'm adorable.**

_**Does humility come naturally to you?**_

**Yes it does.**

_**Proud of you.**_

**Win!**

"Jason you playing or what?" Percy groans.

I sit down picking up one of the controllers. We play a few short rounds before deciding to head off to the movies.

Wash U has responded.

_**I'm beginning to think that no one in media has any sense of intellect. I mean how many times do you hear, 'don't go up the stairs you're blocking yourself in.' And what does the lead do? She fucking hauls ass upstairs. And I mean she fucking books it up those damn stairs. I hope you die main character of Nightmare on Elm Street... What's her name?**_

**Nancy.**

_**Nancy! I swear I just started watching this with my dad again. After Johnny Depp got eaten by the bed I gave up.**_

**Nice, and what was that? The first thirty minutes of the movie?**

_**Yes... I'm staying a virgin. It's been decided, I'm never having sex, and I'm never having kids. Not taking the risk that they will suddenly turn out to be the spawn of Satan.**_

**Scary movies really scare you huh?**

_**You're judging me. I can feel you judging me.**_

"Okay who are you texting?" Leo asks from the back seat.

"I told you it's for a project." I say texting quickly.

**I'm going to the movies text you later.**

"Then maybe I should have taken Psych. Who knew it was so funny?" Percy rolls his eyes as we hit a red light.

"Well, our teacher is kind of an idiot. It's funny when he gets shit wrong because my partner gets pretty pissed."

_**Don't watch a scary movie. If you get scared you will find no sympathy from me.**_

"This movie might warrant a make out session. I heard it sucks." Percy says.

"Well Leo, I guess that means we're kissing." I turn to face him.

"You are too sexually sound sometimes Jason. Fuck you and fuck your sexuality."

"He wants me." I say to Percy.

"Totally. I call maid of honor at your wedding." Percy snickers.

"Why do I bother?" Leo shrugs.

"You should be proud of me Leo, remember how uptight I used to be?"

"Yeah but I think I loosened a few bolts when I loosened up your personality." Leo rolls his eyes as we pull into the theater. "Let's go! Leo wants his pop corn and sour patch kids!" Leo jumps out of the car and races into the theater.

**I'll keep that in mind. Ttyl**

"So Percy, how's college coming?"

Percy sighs, "Actually I'm thinking about doing online college for a year."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean I'd be able to do it on my own time and I'd get to branch out in my acting. I will go to college eventually but I really need to just... I don't know, take a break I guess."

"Percy college isn't for everyone."

"I know, but Annabeth wants to-"

"Don't let Annabeth decide your life for you."

"Coming from you? I mean you. Of all people?"

"Well, college is your choice and next year it'll be mine."

"And Thalia was convinced she was going to Emory last year. Then your dad happened."

"Well, yeah, but that's my dad. This is-"

"The girl I'm probably going to marry someday." Percy says for me.

"Just remember it's your choice." I say holding the door open for him.

"You too."

The movie is pretty crappy. It's so crappy in fact I start texting Wash U during a scene that's supposed to be important.

**I'M BORED!**

_**WHY ARE YOU BORED IN ALL CAPS!?**_

**This movie is a serious pile of shit.**

_**Aw poor baby. XP**_

**Entertain me.**

_**Apparently I can balance a cup of water in between my boobs.**_

**What?**

She sends a picture with a glass half full of water balancing on her chest in between her parted boobs.

**Is impressed.**

_**Right?**_

**Have you finished Nightmare?**

_**Nah, dad and I started watching Singing in the Rain instead.**_

**Is that any good?**

_**It's fantastic.**_

**I think something important happened in this movie I'm watching but the other guy just died and I can't stop laughing.**

_**Twisted humor. Wait on a scale of ketchup to actual transfusion how good is the blood?**_

**XP I think it's food dye.**

_**Dead XD is there a stripper in there?**_

**Yeah**

_**Is she dead?**_

**No.**

_**Interesting.**_

**I'm sitting beside my best friend and his girlfriend. She has officially mounted him, send help. And condoms.**

She sends me a picture of a box of condoms.

**Fuck you I'm serious they're leaving the theater.**

_**That's wonderful. Not to mention classy.**_

**I'll tell them that.**

_**Go ahead.**_

**Wait... Uh... Uh... Yeah the stripper's dead.**

_**She had it coming.**_

**She had it coming.**

_**She had it coming all along.**_

**You know musicals?**

_**Hells yes!**_

**Do you have a favorite?**

_**A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.**_

**That movie is the bomb.**

_**Stage production is amazing too.**_

**Of course it is, stage productions always are.**

_**I like you.**_

**Yes! Victory is mine!**

_**Haha, everyone likes musicals. You like Disney? You like musicals. You like oldies? You like musicals. You like breathing? You better at least fucking lie about it.**_

**Violent are we? **

_**I am a passive little bunny.**_

**Ignores the obviously inappropriate jokes I could make about bunnies.**

_**Sweats nervously.**_

**Awkward.**

_**Only awkward if you make it awkward.**_

**I can't tell but I think the movie's over.**

_**Is everyone dead yet?**_

**There's so much food dye blood I think they've permanently dyed the entire battle field pink.**

_**Imagine. 'Daddy why's the grass pink?'**_

**'Well you see son, a long ass long time ago budgets were low and we had already blown our budget on shitty actors, so we used food dye.'**

_**'Oh, is that why the animals shit pink?'**_

**'Yes son, now clean that filthy fucking mouth of yours. Bastard.'**

_**Did we really just do that?**_

**I said it already, I'll say it again. I. AM. BORED!**

_**WELL I AM TIRED!**_

**HOW IS THAT RELEVENT?**

_**IT ISN'T.**_

**WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?**

_**I DON'T KNOW!**_

**That awkward moment when... Your best friends show up at the end of the film smelling like sex and you have to pretend not to be texting because this fucking movie still isn't over.**

_**That awkward moment when your best friend is your dad.**_

**That awesome moment when you realize you could be sitting at home trying to balance a glass of water between your boobs.**

_**That awesome moment when you realize you're not third wheeling like it's an Olympic sport.**_

**Well fuck you.**

_**Fuck a duck.**_

**Excuse you. Ducks don't deserve all this.**

_**What the fuck is this conversation?**_

**Great.**

_**Glad you think so. I can agree with you on that.**_

**Cheers**

_**Clanks glasses**_

**And credits! Movie is over. **

_**Congratulations, you get a cookie.**_

**Devours cookie.**

_**Hey my movie just ended! Time to run before dad puts in another fucking horror film.**_

**Your dad is a troll.**

_**You don't even know.**_

**In his defense I'd pull the same kind of crap. I mean, I would love to watch you scream as a shitty actor get's his head cut off.**

_**I'm not sure, but I think something in my house creaked and I'm flipping my shit.**_

**Don't run up the stairs.**

_**I won't.**_

**Do you like scary movies?**

_**Fuck you Jason. Fuck you, and fuck your cruelty. I'm laying bed right now and I don't have the sanity to deal right now.**_

**Are you going to get eaten by your bed?**

_**I swear to god I'll scream.**_

**No! Don't you know anything about scary movies.**

_**Go to hell!**_

**Hey now, I'm quoting Scream not Hellraiser.**

_**Seriously fuck you.**_

**Gladly but I thought you wanted to stay a virgin so not to produce demon spawn.**

_**I hate you.**_

**No you don't.**

_**You don't know that.**_

**Would you still be texting me if you did?**

_**XP**_

**;D**

_**O_O**_

**What?**

_**Something moved outside my window.**_

**XD**

_**YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I'M GOING TO FUCKING CRY!**_

**Boo fucking hoo. You're fine.**

_**The only light is coming from my phone and the only sound is from my ipod. I'm flipping my shit.**_

**You're hilarious.**

"So, is this shit film over yet?" Leo asks sounding like he's just woken up.

"Can we leave even if it's not?" I retaliate fully aware the movie is in fact over.

"Yeah let's go." Annabeth says, "Anyone up for ice cream?"

"I'm down." Hazel says.

_**Glad you can laugh at my misery.**_

**I'm getting ice cream, I'll send you pics of my friends being idiots. That'll make you feel better.**

_**Will it?**_

**I sure hope so because you're being a wimp.**

_**Fine. You're a piece of shit, you know that?**_

**I've been told, on multiple occasions that I am in fact a douche.**

_**Well, they're right, because you suck.**_

**Excuse you, I do not suck I get sucked.**

_**Now I'm trying to delete that image from my mind.**_

**;P**

When we get to the ice cream place it's almost eleven at night. We're all alone and pulling crazy stupid stuff out of our asses.

I send pictures to Wash U until she stops texting. I presume she's fallen asleep.

I text my father at eleven thirty asking him if I can spend the night at Percy's like we normally do on Fridays. We're all hanging out at Percy's place when I get a text back.

_**No, come home. Now.**_

And just like that I know he's pissed.

"I've got to go." I say shoving my phone deep into my pocket.

"Why?" Percy asks.

"My dad..." I reply.

"Ugh." Annabeth shudders in disgust. All of my friends either give looks of sympathy or disapproval.

"Night guys. Text you later."

"Bye."

I'm quick to get home and arrive before my curfew of midnight.

When I step inside I see my father pacing the floor anxiously.

"Have you heard from Thalia?"

"No, why?" I ask cautiously.

"Because she hasn't contacted me and it's almost curfew."

"I thought her curfew was one since she's in college now."

"She's probably out partying and sleeping with that rotten boyfriend of hers. What am I ever going to do with that stupid sister of yours?"

"She's not stupid dad. She's an adult."

"To who?"

"The state?"

"Look who picked up some smart ass from kid down the street."

"Dad-"

"Shut up Jason don't you even care about your sister?"

"Of course I care but she can take care of herself."

"Call her. Now." I take out my phone and call her. I get voice mail. I leave a message, telling her she should hurry home.

"I'm gonna go to bed, dad." I say running upstairs and throwing myself into my nightly ritual on fast forward.

Laying in bed, as darkness crawls around my eyes, I hear her come in.

"Where were you young lady?" She doesn't respond, I hear her run up the stairs. "And where do you think you're going?" Don't run up the stairs. You'll never make it out alive.

I hear him slam her against a wall, "Ow!" She whimpers loudly.

"Your little brother is asleep, do not wake him. He's got a future to work toward unlike you. You worthless pile of shit."

"Shut up!"

"Someone's got to bring you back into the real world."

"Leave me alone!"

"You're not leaving this house for the rest of this weekend, do you understand me?" She doesn't answer, "Do you understand me? Thalia Grace, do you understand your father?"

"Yes daddy!" She must really want him to let go if she pulled the daddy card.

He let's her slide down a bit.

"Night princess." He says kissing her head. I know this because it's what he always does, "You know I only want what's best for you."

"I know."

"I love you."

"Night." She responds. After a few moments, making sure our father has gone to bed, she makes her way into my room, "Please, don't tell me you're asleep."

I sit up to show her I'm not.

She curls up next to me. I'm normally the one to do this.

"It's a beautiful day." She whispers.

"The sky falls you feel like." I respond. We trade verses on nights like these.

"It's a beautiful day."

"Don't let it get away."

"Touch me."

"Take me to that other place."

"Teach me."

"I know I'm not a hopeless case."

"What you don't have you don't need it now."

"What you don't know you can feel it somehow."

"What you don't have you don't need it now."

"Don't need it now."

"It was a beautiful day."

"Did it hurt?" I ask.

"Not this time." She says.

"Good."

"... I want to tell Luke."

"About last year?"

"Yeah... Do you think that's a bad idea?"

"I don't know Thals. Has it been long enough for you yet?"

"It'll never be long enough."

"Well, do you love him?"

"I love him so much it scares me."

I hug her a bit tighter, "Then tell him."

"Okay."

I fall asleep as she squeezes me tighter, "Night,"

I mutter a slurred, "Night."

The routine goes on, as she's gone in the morning. She always is. As with most mornings I wish she would have stayed.


	4. Chapter 4

I spend my Saturday alone, in my room doing homework, and trying to brainstorm song ideas. I come up with nothing. I sit in my bedroom staring at my computer blankly, all I can do is scroll through YouTube and watch videos of baby's playing with small animals... And I can feel you judging me. Yet again.

I hear my phone buzzing against my desk. When I pick it up, I see Wash U has contacted me via text.

_**Hey there.**_

**Hiya.**

_**What's up with you?**_

**Blankly staring at my computer, contemplating why on Earth small children playing with kittens is so mesmerizing.**

_**XD adorable.**_

**Why is this so addicting?**

_**IDK, my Achilles heel is makeup tutorials. That shit is addictive as fuck and it shouldn't be.**_

**I knew I wasn't a complete freak.**

_**Oh, always know when you're around me, you're not a complete freak.**_

**Well, now I feel better. What are you doing?**

_**Reading.**_

**Whacha reading?**

_**A little book called 1984.**_

**What's that?**

_**Just... Insane. Absolutely positively bat shit crazy.**_

**Okay... Freak.**

_**;D**_

**XP**

_**;P**_

**o_O**

**DX**

_**:B**_

**B)**

_**Emotocon conversation?**_

**Si**

_**Lol**_

**IKR?**

_**Question!**_

**Answer!**

_**What time are we meeting tomorrow?**_

**IDK whenever you want I guess.**

_**Hmm...**_

**Hmm... Indeed.**

_**Hush up.**_

**Make me.**

_**Reaches through phone to strangle you.**_

**The fucking hell phone? I thought we were friends!**

_**You thought wrong. I never loved you.**_

**But, what about all those good times we had.**

_**They are only memories now.**_

**What is this terminator?**

_**IDK, what do you want it to be?**_

**Sexy!**

_**Then sexy it is.**_

**Strip for me.**

She sends me a picture of pool testing strips.

**Oh I'm so hard.**

_**For realzies when are we meeting?**_

**Four?**

_**Got it.**_

"Jason." Thalia comes to my door, "Dad wants to talk about this week with us."

"Coming." I return.

**Gotta go, see you tomorrow.**

_**Bye.**_

I listen the monotonous way my father address's Thalia and I. Suddenly, as he speaks to us, I feel a nervousness bubble inside of me. I'm meeting Wash U tomorrow... How am I going to get out of the house? Fuck me.

I literally spend the rest of my night trying to think up lies I could tell my father so I can see Wash U.

Sunday comes in a stumbled rush of time.

Wash U sends me directions to the place we'll be meeting at.

I tell my father I'm going to the out for drive. A change of scenery so that I can be inspired to write something. He tells me to be back before ten since it's a school night, and doesn't question me further. I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders with his confirmation.

My drive is blissful. Getting out of the house is probably the best thing I could have done. It's always the best thing I can do, living in my house, that is.

I start to get worried when I take a turn and find myself driving into the backwoods.

I call her just to make sure I'm on the right track.

"Hello?" She picks up after the first ring.

"Hey."

"You almost here?"

"Yeah, but I'm on a dirt road."

"Oh good."

I feel relieved, "Really?"

"Yes, have you found that fork in the road I mentioned?"

Just then I see it.

"It's right here."

"Turn right." She says, "I'll be a few feet away from the campsite sign."

"We're going camping?"

"Sort of... You'll see."

I pull into the parking lot. I don't see a Wash U sweater anywhere. I mean, why would I? It's like a hundred degrees out. Still, I realize my only way of finding her has vanished and I'm lucky I still have her on the phone. I hop out of my car slamming the door behind me, "Where are you exactly?"

"I'm waving." I look all around the clearing occupied only by cars and hikers, before seeing a girl. Waving and holding up her phone, she calls to me, "Over here."

I know this is going to sound incredibly weird but I've never really _seen_ her before. I feel like we've only ever talked. Is that bad? I mean, it's not like I haven't looked at her before. I've just never _looked_ at her before. I'm a terrible person, I'll stop while I'm ahead.

We hang up simultaneously before walking toward one another.

I can't believe this is the same girl I met at school. No self consciousness surrounds her. She doesn't feel the need to walk with her head down turned. She looks happy instead of downtrodden. There's a visible bounce in her step and a confidence in her long strides. Most of all she's, smiling a smile that warms your heart.

Her teeth are illuminated in the sun. He lips shimmer with chap stick or lip gloss or something (I'm a guy don't judge me okay? I just know they're pink.). From her smile I then notice the rest of her. Oh my god her skin is glowing copper. She has her hair cut in random layers which hang naturally and thin. Some strands are braided and I can see a few knotted bits. Even with the knots noticeable it doesn't look bad, it looks right, and honestly pretty. She looks like someone who lives in Hollywood, which I didn't at all expect from her. She lives in a hoodie for crying out loud.

She's wearing a turquoise tank top, showing off her shoulders and collar bone, allowing her skin to radiate warmth and glow in the sun. Shorts, and I mean shorts, that accentuate her long smooth looking legs. She has a slender figure if I've ever seen one. Soft curves that make her look like a real life fashion model. She should be photoshopped but she's standing in front of me. Real and flawless, more flawless than any person should be allowed.

She's an absolute knockout. Maybe one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. I'd go so far as to say she's _the_ most beautiful girl I've ever seen and I live in a city full of beautiful people. (Or at least a suburb thirty minutes away from a city full of beautiful people, but that still counts.)

I wonder if she knows that she's pretty. If that's why she covers up with her Wash U hoodie. I wonder if she'd stop getting beat up if people knew she looked like this. I come to a sad realization, they probably would stop. If they knew she was pretty, they'd stop hurting her. After all who hits a gorgeous girl?

"Hiya." She says.

"Hey." I greet, "This is a pretty shady place to bring someone you've just met."

"Don't worry I'm not here to kidnap you." She chuckles folding her arms. I didn't know she had such small hands. I take notice of her nails which are manicured to match her shirt. Then I see her well proportioned slightly muscular arms.

"That's a relief." I say.

"Come on, we have a destination." She says tapping my arm lightly before leading the way. I follow her off the hiking path into the under brush.

"So how was your Saturday?"

"Eh." She shrugs.

"Same." I respond.

"Sorry your movie was shit."

"Sorry your night was spent in fear."

"You'll never let it go will you?"

"Most likely." I chuckle.

"So, get used to it, right?"

"Bingo."

"Fantastic."

"Hey, you brought it upon yourself."

"I did no such thing."

"You did too."

"No."

"Um, yeah. I have the texts."

"So do I and I said nothing of the kind."

"Fine, you didn't say it, you implied it... But I'm still using it as ammo against you."

"I wouldn't expect any less." She smirks as we break through the trees. Before us there's a beautiful lake that absorbs my attention. I hardly notice the house beside it at first because I'd have never thought water could be pretty, however, this lake is.

The area is completely barren of any other people. Only the sound of birds making their little noises, and a hushed lapping of water at the lake edges fill my ears.

"Here we are." She says with a smile stepping out into the clearing.

"Wow." I say with wide-eyes following her down to the lake's shore.

"Yeah, it was my grandpa's place. I'm the only one who really comes out here though, it's my family's privet property. My dad hardly ever comes out here unless I drag him. So, in essence I have it all to myself."

"It's beautiful." I tell her as we reach the house. It's a one story cottage, you know those enchanted cottages in fairy tales? I'm not kidding, that's exactly how this house looks. Quaint, adorable, straight from a children's book. Complete with a garden in front and chimney coming out the back.

I look around at the transition from grass to sand. I imagine wild flowers grow here in the spring. I think up little dots of yellows, purples, and pinks. With my mind I splatter them across the green canvas of grass.

"I'm glad you agree." She says unlocking the door to the cottage, "You want anything to drink?" She turns to me, holding the door open with her forearm.

"Water?"

"Sure." She says entering the cottage, letting the door close gently behind her. I wait outside, watching the lake sparkle with sunlight. Colors spread across the silky mirror of water infinitely. Beautiful trees hang over the water at random intervals the farther down I look. I can see where the river either ends or begins at the lakes side farthest from where I stand.

I hear the crunch of grass behind me, Wash U stands against the door to prop it open, holding up two iced waters.

"You wanna sit down?" She asks. I sit down on the grass instantly, still observing the lake. Today has already turned out more beautiful than I expected. First Wash U, now this place.

"Alright." She chuckles handing me a glass and sitting beside me.

I slip off my sneakers when I notice she's barefoot. She's digging her toes in the sand, whereas I lay my feet on top of the warm crystal like sand.

"Story time?" She asks with a smile brighter than before.

I return the gesture, "Where do I begin?"

"Like David Copperfield." She says, "I was born."

"My story starts before then." I say.

"Then where does it start?"

"Well..." I look into her eyes. How on earth did I miss her eyes? Those weren't covered under excess clothing. Eye are something we use to communicate, I should have at least noticed her eyes. How did I miss such beautiful eyes? I find myself staring into them, but I can't help it. They keep changing, dancing through a rainbow of colors like the lake before us.

"You can tell me." She nudges my shoulder playfully when I've taken too long to answer. I'm instantly embarrassed to have been caught staring into her eyes, "Who would I tell?"

"I don't know, your dad seems a likely candidate." I return the nudge.

"He won't gossip. He's not like an old lady in a retirement home... Yet."

"Alright. My mom was twenty when she had my older sister... By the way I have an older sister."

She chuckles, "Noted, go on."

"According to my mom, my dad was a different man back then. Loving and always there for her. After my sister was born-"

"What's her name?"

"Who my sister or my mom?"

"Either or both."

"My sister's name is Thalia. My mom's name was Bethany."

"I like the name Thalia..." She says, "Continue."

"Right. After Thalia was born my dad got pretty big in the movie industry. He was a big hit and suddenly had fangirls or whatever." She laughs at this so I laugh with her,

"But he quit when Thalia was about three, claiming he wanted to spend more time with his family. Only, when he stopped acting he became an agent, opened his own company, and was farther away than ever." I pause recalling a little known fact.

"Funny story, my parents were never married so I only have my mom's last name."

She sighs, faking a groan, "Fun facts about Jason Grace."

I wink quickly, getting a snort from Wash U, before continuing, "My mom found out she was expecting me but could never get a hold of my dad long enough to tell him until... hmm... Two weeks before my due date."

"Oh my god." Wash U laughs.

"If I recall from Thalia the conversation went a little like, 'Honey, I'm ho-ly fuck!'

'Thalia can hear you!'

'What did I miss!?'

'Oh, you know, just my entire pregnancy!'

'When? What? How? Mine?'

'When? Halloween. What? A baby. How? Well you can figure that one out on your own. Yours? Yours? Really? Of course it's yours I haven't had time in the past five years for an affair.'

'Why didn't you-'

'I've been trying to tell you for the past eight and a half months!'

'Look don't strain yourself, just take a seat.'

'It's a boy, by the way. If you care.'

'A boy? Really!?'

'His name will be Jason. And if you don't like it tough, Thalia loves it.'

'I love you.'

'You better!' And my dad made a whole huge announcement to the whole world that I was coming and poof I was born."

Wash U looks like she can't breath, "Holy Crap. That is too funny!"

I laugh with her, "It is."

"What happened next? Give me a chapter title."

"Chapter title... My dad turns into a dick wad."

"Go on." She says composing herself.

"So, I was raised by my mom single handedly. Until I was eight. I hadn't seen my dad in about... I'd say two years. Thalia was watching me because at that point she was twelve and responsible or something. My mom went out to pick up something for my dad's visit. But she didn't come home for a couple of hours so Thalia called her cell. Our mom didn't pick up.

"My mom had been hit by a drunk driver. Her car flipped over and she died instantly. A police officer answered her cell, he broke the news right then and there.

"My dad was never really present in either mine or Thalia's lives, so it was really weird to suddenly be living with the man.

"He bought a house in this town so we could still go to school here instead of in the city. It was almost like he was trying too hard to be a dad and be there for us. The older Thalia and I have gotten the more he worries. He became insanely protective. He hardly lets us out of his sight."

"How'd you get here, then?" She asks.

"Well, I told him I needed inspiration for a song. See, he dove head first into his work when my mom died. He made Thalia and I become child stars like he and my mom had been. And now I'm a little worker robot performing tasks for my dad like he's my master or something.

"He's afraid Thalia will turn into our mom. He thinks Thalia's boyfriend is a bad influence, even though the guy could be a lot worse. The only bad thing he does is drink, but he's a college junior so it's almost legal.

"He always thinks one or both of us is the reincarnation of Satan. Ever since Thalia's gotten into college, he's gotten even worse.

"All he cares about is fame and money. A supposed future. He doesn't realize that we're people who have lives and want more than a step by step plan on how to live."

She nods slowly, "Are you and Thalia close?"

"Oh yeah. She's the closest friend I have. She's like my mom and my best friend. She talks to me like I'm a person and not a kid. She cares about my grades and about how I'm feeling. We keep each other sane."

Wash U smiles kindly at my conclusion.

"Your turn."

"I still firmly believe I'll win."

"Shoot Tex." I say sipping my water when my phone vibrates. "Don't shoot." She makes her fingers into a gun while I read the text.

_**Where the hell are you!?**_

**Sorry Thalia, I'm out right now.**

_**Yeah I know and dad is asking me if you're out with Reyna.**_

**Tell him I'm alone.**

_**Are you?**_

**Yeah.**

"Who is it?"

"Thalia." I answer, "And by the way." I show her the picture she sent yesterday of water balancing on her chest, "Why?"

"Because I was bored." She says taking the phone a grinning wickedly, "Why is my name Wash U in your phone?"

"Uh... That's my nickname for you."

Her faces morphs into a cruelly humored expression, "You don't know my name."

"Uh..." She's laughing so I don't feel as bad as I did. I still feel terrible though.

"My god Jason you could have just asked me you know."

"I didn't want to be rude."

She hands me back my phone, "Piper. My name is Piper."

"Piper." I say associating her face with the name. I decide to leave her name as Wash U in my phone. A reminder of her given nickname, "Now, go."

"Alright. Maybe your nickname for me should be Adulterous Love Child." I actually spit some of my water onto the sand. She starts laughing again.

"What!?"

"I'm an affair baby." She says.

"You're proud of this?"

"Hmm... Yes!" She's clearly joking.

"Story time. Now."

"So, both of my parents are pretty famous. My mom is a French actress and my dad is an American actor. They were doing some kind of project together and she fell head over heels for him. They both say the same thing whenever I've asked. They fell mutually in love which, while that's not a good thing, (because adultery) makes me feel a little bit better about my conception."

"Oh my god." I laugh.

"What? It's true."

"Keep going." I wave her off.

She folds her arms as she picks up with the story, "When she went back to her family in France she found out that she was having me.

"She had originally thought that I was her husband's baby. But look at me real quick okay?"

"Um... Why?"

"Because I have pretty dark skin."

"It's more tan than anything." I respond observing the smooth richness of her skin.

"But it's not white." She says. I almost say that she has nice skin but A I don't want her thinking I'm like Hannibal Lecter and B I'm not willing to reenact a scene from Harry Potter at this exact moment for mentioning that she has nice skin.

"Go on."

"My mom is white and blonde. You know, very French looking. And her husband was very pale with dark hair. So when I popped out glistening caramel."

"Oh!" I say realizing what she means now.

"Yeah. He screamed almost as loudly as I did. That's actually where I got my name, because I was louder than a thirty year old man who just found out that his wife had sex with another man, by her having said other man's baby."

"That's awful."

"But funny." She smiles gently.

"But hilarious." I tell her cackling.

"So, this guy is screaming curses and chewing out my mom, getting all kinds of angry. The doctors physically kick him out of the hospital. And my mom is now remembering this guy she fell in love with overseas.

"My mom calls my dad who is absolutely ecstatic to hear from her. Before she can tell him the news a nurse hands me to my mom. According to my dad he knew I was the one crying and he knew I was his without my mom speaking a word. He didn't even ask about her having a baby, he just said, 'That's my kid.'

"My mom claims to this very day her exact words were, 'Yes, and my god she's perfect.'

"They talked it over and decided it'd be best for me to live with my dad since my mom had a marriage to deal with and two other kids at home.

"My dad was more than happy to let me live with him. He actually flew over to France to meet me while he was supposed to be filming. He picked me up from the hospital right there and took me to America.

"When he brought me home he hardly ever left me alone. He took me to work with him no matter what he was filming that day. I'm still fully convinced that I hate scary movies so much because he brought me on the set of a horror film he did once. Anyway, that's my baby story. Questions?"

"Do you keep in contact with your mom?"

"Yes. Part of her deal with my dad is that I get to see her every now and then. Every Christmas we visit her. She comes down for Thanksgiving, even though she doesn't celebrate it, which I think is sweet. She plans my spring breaks which I also spend with her."

"What about her husband?"

"They divorced when I was about a year old."

"You said she has other kids?"

"Oh that's right, they're a pretty big part of my life." She thinks for a moment before speaking, "I have three half siblings. Drew, the oldest, Mitchell, my older brother, and I have a little sister named Lacey. Drew and I don't speak if we can help it. She feels like I ruined her perfect little family. When in reality that would be her mother's fault... Drew and I are... Let's see six years apart, since she just turned twenty three. At this time of the year she's seven years older.

"Mitchell is great. I love him to death, he's sweet and adorable. He's nice to everyone he meets, just about. He's eighteen right now so he's two years older than me.

"Then there's baby Lacey. She's twelve now. She's also Drew and Mitchell's half sister because..." She sighs, which is then followed by a nervous chuckle, "I can't believe I'm saying this to you. Promise not to tell anyone this part especially?"

"I promise." I tell her. She holds out her pinkie. Out of instinct I wrap my own around hers. Her hands are so small compared to mine, and so soft...

"After her divorce, my mom got inseminated and poof baby Lacey was born."

"Nice." I nod, "Wait your mom is French?"

"Yes. And yes I do speak French."

"Say something in French."

After a moment of thought she says, "J'ai des sentiments pour toi."

I let the milky words seep into my ears. I've never heard words quiet so decadent, "What did you say?"

"I said, 'I have spoken something.'" She's lying and I can tell.

I'll ask again later, "Any other juicy secrets?"

"Darn I left my note cards at home." She laughs.

"Ah! Me too." I laugh, "Another question. You were born in France?"

"Yes."

"What part? And what kind of citizenship do you have?"

"I was born in Strasbourg and... Wait you wanna know about my citizenship status?"

"I've never had a friend born outside the US, living in the US. It intrigues me." Well I have Frank but he's Canadian and he doesn't count.

"I have both French and American citizenship."

"You can do that?"

"Yeah." She chuckles, "It's this thing called Duel Citizenship. Since I was born outside the US but my dad is an American citizen I have natural citizenship here."

"That is so fucking cool."

"You're the first person to think that." She laughs.

"That is seriously so fucking cool." I tell her sincerely.

"Any other questions strange child?"

"Let me think..." I ponder the story for a bit, "No."

"Yay!" She chuckles.

I watch her bathe in the warmth of the sun for a moment before deciding to speak up, "We should do this again." I tell her.

She looks surprised, "Really?"

"Yeah. You're an interesting girl with an interesting life. I'd love to learn more about you." I say sincerely.

"Well you're a pretty good storyteller yourself, sir."

"Thank you, madam." I nod.

"Do Sundays work well for you?"

"Yes, they do."

"Then next Sunday. Same time, same place. If you still need me to lead you here just give me a call. I'll make snacks next time!"

"Ooo goodie snacks." I clap my hands together getting her to laugh again.

"Hey, look at that." She nudges me before pointing to the lake, "Sunset." She smiles. I didn't know so many colors existed. We spend a few long moments staring at the sun as it drowns in the glittering lake before us.

"That means I should go." I say, standing up and brushing off my pants.

"Wait." She stands with me, "I have one more question."

I square myself toward her, giving her my undivided attention.

"Are you... Are you ever afraid?"

"Afraid?"

"Are you ever afraid to go home?" I'm taken aback for a moment by her question. It's struck a chord I didn't know I had, it's made me stop to wonder what the tone of her voice means. Her question sends my mind into a tailspin. Is she asking if I get hit? Is she asking to know more about me? Is she asking because she knows what it's like to not want to go home?

"It's not my home." I say hesitantly, "It's a place I live, not a place I love. But yeah. Sometimes I'm afraid to go home. More than I should actually."

"Where do you consider home to be then?"

"... I still haven't found it." I say heading up the hill.

"See you Monday." She calls as I depart.

"See you Monday." I shout back walking to my car.

Sitting in my car, I let my thoughts swirl inside my brain. I think about her story. How I told my own. I love her story. It's funny, yet tragic, but not in excess of either. She's humored and lightened by it. She even seems a bit humbled by all that's happened to her, though by the sounds of it she's privileged. Which I could have guessed just by the school we go to.

She loves her family... Well, most of it anyway. She's bilingual, she's funny, she's smart, she's nice, she's a good listener, she asks insanely insightful questions. _She's beautiful_, the last thing on my list of things I know about Wash U... Piper. Her name. Her name is one more thing.

She's more than that beauty underneath the piles of clothing she hides beneath. There's no way she's afraid of her looks. She probably knows she's beautiful, but she also knows the power of that beauty. She knows the price she'd pay for being gorgeous and surrounded by teenagers. There's no way she hides for the masses, just for self satisfaction. She hides so they can know the person inside, the girl who hides behind ill-fitted clothes and undone hair.

She wants them to start their list as I have. Stating her qualities first and looks last. That's why she hides. But why does she let them hurt her? That's what baffles me the most. Why does she choose invisibility over making them see her?

Another thought crosses my mind during my lonely drive.

We were so close. So physically close. We were shoving and playing with one another. I can't ignore the fact that there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind that continued to scream _kiss her_ every time she smiled or leaned into my shoulder. But I shouldn't want that... I mean I don't want that. Not after only a few days. I shouldn't want to kiss a girl I've only spoken to a handful of times.

But what if I did and kind of still do?

I get home close to eight o'clock.

When I walk in the door I hear silverware clatter on the table and chairs scoot out as if something major has just happened.

"Jace?" My father calls.

"Yeah dad?"

He comes storming into the main hall, "Where have you been?"

"I just went for a drive."

"Oh, just a drive huh? Then why is it, that Reyna's mother called me around five o'clock this afternoon telling me her daughter was gone?"

"Just a coincidence." I say trying to walk past him.

"Just a coincidence? Just a coincidence?" He pushes me back into the front door.

"Dad, believe me I have no desire to see Reyna." Especially not after today, "I was out driving the entire time. I didn't even know Reyna was out. If I had I would have stayed home."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means I want nothing to do with Reyna."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

"Really."

"Then why have you been texting some unknown number?"

Shit... "What are you talking about?"

"I was looking at our phone usage today and you've been texting someone very consistently in the past few days."

"Dad, seriously?"

"Who is it? Who on Earth are you texting?"

"Dad it's just a guy in my classes, we're working on a project together it's no big deal."

I manage to get out of his grasp.

"No big deal?" He asks as both of us walk into the dinning room. Thalia sits staring at our father and I. Her eyes shine with worry.

"No, it's no big deal."

He roughly grabs my jaw and forces me to look at him, "Really now-"

"Daddy." Thalia speaks up, "Sit down, dinner's getting cold." She has her moments of bravery. I'm thankful for them now.

Our father huffs, releasing his grip and gesturing to table chairs.

We both begrudgingly sit down. I stuff food down my throat so I can escape to my room and pack for the next morning. That, and my father always buys his time. I'm sure to reap his full anger at some point. I just won't know when until it hits me.


	5. Chapter 5

My Monday starts at three a.m. with a quick five mile run. I get home around five fifteen, just in time to catch Thalia before she leaves for class.

"Later loser." She says affectionately, chugging her coffee.

"Later." I respond climbing the stairs and hoping into the shower. I try to think up a song. I contemplate notes and scales. Before I've eaten breakfast I've pieced together a song without lyrics.

Crap. It's always harder to write the lyrics once the song's been written. For me, at least.

I write out my idea and throw the pages into my backpack. I'll think of something, right?

Well, wrong.

I come up with nothing. Lupa wants the song written by Wednesday after school. At this point that may or may not happen. I play the chords in my mind, while humming harmonies. I realize I can't think up lyrics because the song sounds like a freaking lullaby.

How in the name of Hell did I write a lullaby?

I tap my pencil nervously in Psych. We're still presenting our projects because Monday we had a sub who couldn't figure out the stupid projector. Now, in her defense she was at least eighty years old and kept saying, 'This confounded mechanism, we didn't have fancy jiggamahoos like this when I was a teacher.' which didn't help the situation.

I already presented my project, Piper is about to start presenting. I don't really try to pay attention to what she's saying because I couldn't care less about Mood Disorders when my career is on the line.

She's the last to present and we're given the rest of the period to study for next class's test. No one study's though, why would we? Piper takes out her notes and sits beside me.

"How are we?"

I groan in response.

"So, either something is shit, or you're being pleasured."

I give her a nasty look.

"That bad huh?"

"You know, my future is just in jeopardy."

She sucks in her lips before speaking again, "Anything I can help with?"

"I don't think so. Unless you can write up some lyrics."

She looks like she has an idea, "Okay. When do you need them by?"

"After school."

"Consider it done." She says.

"Huh?"

"How does it go? Your song I mean."

"You actually think you can write lyrics just like that?"

"Would I have said I could if I couldn't?"

"What's your idea?"

"Well, how's it go? Hum the melody for me." I do as she asks. He features melt seamlessly into a smile, "Alright so how about this." She shoves a paper toward me and scribbles down some words that I honestly can't read.

"What?" I ask.

She rolls her eyes, "It says, 'You don't have to smile sunshine, it's a cloudy day. I promise you won't fade away.' Since the chorus was so short... I don't know the notes and words fit."

"How so?" I ask trying to piece the syllables together.

"Well, maybe try breaking them up."

I concentrate harder on the words she's given me and I'm surprised to find I really like them.

"Wow." I say, "That's good."

"Really?" She asks.

"Yes. If I sing it like... _Y__ou don't_

_"Have to_

_"Smile_

_"Sunshine_

_"It's a cloudy day._

_"I promise you won't fade away_. It sounds really cool."

"That does sound cool." She smiles.

"Thanks, I think you just saved my skin."

"Anytime." She says as the bell rings. We pack our things, while I continue jotting ideas down for this song.

"I seriously can't thank you enough." I say before we part ways.

"You seriously can. Don't worry about it. Friends help each other out." She looks hesitant before leaving for Photography.

I quickly navigate to English where I write the rest of the song. I should have been reading because our test on the Crucible is Friday but I honestly don't care enough about the Crucible or this stupid class right now.

I care about getting this song right for Piper. Because she gave me the idea in the first place, and I want her to listen with pride.

Class ends before I have time to edit the song. I have to rush if I'm going to meet my father and Lupa on time. Since Thalia has to drive me home so I can pick up my car I'll be extra late.

But I have to figure out the right words to end it with. I text Piper asking how to end it. Right off the bat she gives me the perfect idea.

_**Knock'em dead.**_

She texts before I go into the studio.

I book it to the recording studio to find my father and Lupa staring at me with disapproval. Something that, while it isn't new, still makes me feel bitterly upset.

"You're late." My father sighs.

"I had to get the song out of my bag." I say holding up the crumpled paper that has each note.

"Alright." He sighs again for dramatic affect.

"Let's hear it right away." Lupa has me set up quickly.

"The beginning is a bit slow." I warn before hand.

_Mmmmhmmm yeah_

_...~..._

_The sun doesn't shine_

_All the time_

_But_

_You do_

_Yeah_

_You're smiling_

_But you're_

_Hiding_

_If only they'd see_

_The clouds behind your eyes_

_...~..._

_You don't_

_Have to_

_Smile_

_Sunshine_

_It's a cloudy day_

_I promise you won't fade away_

_...~..._

_Through storms of hate_

_And seas of pain_

_You shine_

_Bright_

_Well don't you know_

_It's alright_

_To cry_

_To scream_

_To throw your sorrows to the_

_Sky_

_Don't tell me_

_You're alright_

_You're just fine_

_Please don't lie_

_...~..._

_You don't_

_Have to_

_Smile_

_Sunshine_

_It's a cloudy day_

_I promise you won't fade away_

_...~..._

_Look at the sky_

_A new storm is rolling in_

_Before you start_

_To force that smile_

_Turn around_

_Run into my arms_

_And let_

_The_

_Storm_

_Win_

_...~..._

_Cry~_

_You're allowed to_

_Cry~_

_Sunshine_

_Cry~_

_...~..._

_You don't_

_Have to_

_Smile_

_Sunshine_

_It's a cloudy day_

_I promise you won't fade away_

I see Lupa nodding, satisfied, "Let's get some procussions in. Build it up a bit more." She's talking to the audio guy, working on adding more instruments electronically, because why have humans make music when technology does it for us? Eye roll.

I have to sing it over and over again. I'm exhausted when we're finally finished. But all around everyone is pleased with it.

I swear this stupid song will be stuck in my head for weeks. But she helped me with it. I kept thinking about singing for her every time they demanded I do it again. Because this was partly her baby as much as it was mine.

When I get in my car I send her a text.

**I bathed in their blood.**

_**Proud of you. Your next assignment will arrive soon enough.**_

**Thank you master.**

_**Seriously though good job!**_

**Thanks. You helped out so much, I can't thank you enough :D**

_**We can agree to disagree then because it wasn't a big deal to me.**_

**Well thank you Piper.**

_**You're very welcome.**_

**Gotta drive ttyl.**

Just as I set my phone down I see my phone vibrate again. But this time it's a phone call. I don't check the caller ID. Stupid mistake.

"I'm on my way dad, just warming up the car."

"Jason?"

Fuck.

"Reyna."

"I uh... Can't believe you actually picked up."

"Yeah... Uh. Me either."

There's a pause. I should put the phone down. But for whatever reason, I can't.

"Look, Jason. I've been meaning to talk to you, since the whole... Thing happened."

"Uh huh."

"So, uh, can we talk?"

"Can we?"

"I'm sorry Jason."

"Me too."

"We really had a good thing going. Didn't we?"

"I mean it's not like we were uh... Like uh... You know."

"We were a good couple, Jason."

"We were okay."

"You think that?"

"It's complicated Reyna."

"Then uncomplicated it."

"We weren't... Us, when we were together. You know?"

"Not really."

"I think it's good."

"That we're apart?"

"Yeah."

"You wouldn't have said that a month ago."

"Things change."

"You don't."

"Sure I do Reyna. I have in fact."

"This is ridiculous Jason."

"We've broken up, what is so ridiculous about this?"

"The ridiculous part is... I still love you."

"You what?"

She hangs up then. Right as my curiosity peaks.

I manage to get home before eleven o'clock, the whole way home my mind is clogged with thoughts of Reyna, of what used to be our relationship. The shambles of that relationship which remain. Our house is eerily quiet. I make my way upstairs when my father walks out of his room.

"You took awhile to get home." He says folding his arms.

"Yeah," I say suddenly realizing I'm pretty late, "I..."

"Not even going to defend yourself?" He says, "I didn't know I raised an idiot."

"Dad look I was just-"

"What? What on Earth could you have been doing?"

"... Reyna called me." Shit.

"And you talked to her?" He's pissed

"I told her we were over." I say.

He walks to me calmly before shoving me into the stair railing, "Why'd you say that you stupid, stupid boy?"

"Because-"

"Not. A. Word." He threatens, "Not tonight, not to me, and not to that stupid ex-girlfriend of yours. Does your minuscule brain comprehend that?"

"Yes sir." I say in a tight voice.

"Get your ass to bed. Now."

I walk hastily to my room closing the door behind me. By midnight I know he's out cold. I slip into Thalia's room. Half awake she pulls me to her chest, running her hot fingers down my neck and back.

She slurs the verses of Beautiful Day. I remain awake until three in the morning when I get up to run again.

I remain silent until lunch, where my friends pick up on my odd behavior.

"Jason," Annabeth says breaking off from her conversation with Percy or whoever.

"Huh?"

"You're taking the sausage off your pizza with a spoon." I look down to see a scoop of sausage pizza in my spoon. I shove it in my mouth without a second thought.

"You seem down today." Percy says observantly.

I shrug putting the spoon down and eating my pizza like a regular person.

"Dude, speak." Frank says.

I sigh, "Reyna called me last night as I was leaving the studio."

I watch a few eyes grow hopeful.

"What did you say?" Hazel asks curiously.

"Oh you know, just called her kitten and bought a house together before running off into the sunset."

"Knew it." Percy laughs.

"In all seriousness... she told me she still loves me and then hung up."

Nico gives me a pitying glance. He's the only one who even remotely gets it. Even he doesn't fully understand how much this blows.

"That's awesome." Annabeth smiles, "You guys have a second chance."

"What if once was good enough for me?" I ask, "What if I don't want it?"

"Well, do you?" Frank asks.

"No, I-"

"Is this your dad talking or you?" Percy asks firmly.

I get up, walk out of the pizza place, and drive back to school. I find myself slumping to my locker and then to the Cafeteria hallway where Piper is sitting. She's reading the very end of Heart of Darkness.

I sit down beside her, in response she takes out one earbud.

"One sec." She marks her place and closes the book, "What's up?"

"Have you ever felt alone?" I ask. She gestures to the empty hallway, "I mean, like, in your head. Like the people you love just don't get what's happening in your life?"

She nods, "All the time. You need a distraction?"

"I need someone to listen."

She half smiles, "You've got the next thirty minutes before class starts. I'm all ears starting now."

I offer a smile back, "Okay, so I had this girlfriend last year and her name was Reyna. Have you met her?"

"Yeah, we had World History together."

"Well, I thought she was perfect. I was absolutely in love with this girl. She was perfectly rough around the edges and fiery. She wasn't afraid of anything.

"My dad didn't want me dating her, but three years ago we got into a movie franchise together. We were the leads in the franchise. The fourth movie comes out in May of next year.

"My dad got the idea of us being a publicity couple just last year. So, I got to be with her and it was amazing. She was the best girlfriend I could of asked for and everything was just fantastic. To be completely honest I thought we'd get married.

"But over the summer my dad had us break up. He had us go to a party, paid someone to spike Reyna's drinks, and paid another guy to make out with her. I didn't know she was drunk, so I broke up with her on the spot. She called me some rather nasty names and told me I wasn't worth her time anyway.

"Come July, I still haven't talked to her, but Leo, a friend of mine, tells me what happened. My dad openly admits he did all of this to me. I got so angry I lived with my friend Percy for a bit. I couldn't fucking believe this was happening to me.

"So, I tried to reach out to Reyna, but my dad stopped me. We're not supposed to get back together until April. Right before our movie comes out."

I wait for Piper to respond. When she does I can't help but laugh, "What a fucking douche... Why are you laughing?"

"Douche sounds funny coming out of your mouth."

She chuckles with me, "Seriously Jason, your dad is a type-A douche basket. Truly a crazy, mother fucker."

"Stop cursing it doesn't sound right." Not here, I want to add. By the lake it's normal. In school, when she's so vulnerable not so much.

"Fine. Your dad is a dimwitted immoral man without any consideration for the people who should matter in his life."

"Much better, and much more of a burn." I tell her.

"Continue with your story, please."

"Well for awhile, I wanted nothing more than to be with her. All I could think about was getting back together with her. Only now, I don't know why, I just don't want to fight that hard anymore.

"Last night she called me and she told me she still loves me. Which sucks because I know I don't love her. My friends are all in love with us as a couple, but I can't go back to being with her after all that's happened.

"I'm done fighting for her. I'm not sure if it's to spite my dad or not. But I'm never getting back with her." I sigh, "I used to think it was because of her telling me I wasn't worth her time. But lately I'm thinking it's something else. Does that make-"

"Sense?" She asks, "Yes. Although, if you don't mind my input, I'd like to add my two cents."

"Why not?" I shrug.

"You're not doing this to spite your dad."

"I'm not?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"You're doing it for the control of a situation. Your dad doesn't allow you control of anything. And this is something you want control of. So you've turned yourself off to the idea of ever getting back with her. All for the control of the situation."

"So I'm insensitive?"

"Not at all. You're just working toward being your own self. You don't want your dad taking over ever aspect of your life so you've taken control of this situation in order to gain some kind of control in your life... Does _that_ make any sense?"

"In a crazy way."

She nudges me playfully, "Good... Did that help at all?"

"It helped a lot."

"In that case, can you help me with something?"

"Sure."

She bites her lip, "Maybe later."

"You can tell me."

The bell rings then.

"Later." She smiles shortly before throwing Heart of Darkness into her bag.

"Lunch tomorrow?"

"You know where to find me." She says simply.

"Then, I'll see you seventh period."

"See you in Psych." She waves goodbye with her Wash U hoodie sliding down her arm.

I walk to Spanish silently. I hear Annabeth walk up behind me and I even feel her grab my bicep.

"Jason-"

I nudge her off of me and walk into my classroom. I sit in Spanish, learning grammar and whatnot. My mind wanders to what Piper wanted my help with. And thinking of her makes me wish I had taken French so she could tutor me.

J'ai des sentiment pour toi. I remember her saying. I think that's how she said it. I wonder what on earth that could mean.

"Señor Grace would you like to join us or are you too busy daydreaming?"

"Sorry Señora." I answer.

"Hmmm?" She asks again.

"Uh... lo siento." I mummble trying to remember if that's the right way to say I'm sorry. She takes my answer and continues teaching.

In Health we talk about sex. Because Health is more of a guilt, you-do-this-you're-a-shit-human-being-why-are-you-here, kind of class.

I agonizingly fill out a worksheet on healthy abstinence. I know for a fact over half of the kids in this class are no longer virgins, me included. One of the girls here is pregnant actually. Rumor has it at least.

My phone is buzzing in my pocket. I have a feeling it's Leo, he always texts me during Health. Maybe it's Nico, making sure I'm okay. Even Percy. Thalia might be texting, or maybe my father.

Whoever it is I don't look at my phone until I've turned in my assignment. I have six new texts. One from Percy, one from Leo, one from Nico, one from Thalia, one from (surprisingly) Annabeth, and finally Piper.

I only open Piper's text.

_**Sitting in Philosophy (Don't judge I had a lot of free periods in my schedule) and I'm not doing the assignment sitting in front of me because it's stupid. So this is my question. Is it alright for me to call you my friend?**_

It's sad to me that she has to ask.

**Of course you can.**

_**Because not too long ago you didn't even know my name.**_

**There was a point when you didn't know my name either.**

_**Fair enough. I've never been very social before, I only have a few friends, but they all are rude and mean. I try not to talk to them if I can help it.**_

**You can count of me.**

_**:)**_

**Now get to work on your Philosophy or whatever.**

_**Bye.**_

**Bye.**

I pack my things with fifteen minutes left in class. Health is the dumbest required class ever. Next to speech which I have next semester.

I check my other texts to make the alert thing go away. Annabeth's first.

_**Meet me and Percy after school ok? We just wanna talk. **_

I pull open Percy's, _**Annabeth wants to meet you after school. You ok?**_

Leo's text is simple, _**Hey I realize you're having a crisis and all, but did you get the math homework?**_ I text him our homework, _**Thanks. You ok?**_ I don't answer that.

Nico's text is short, _**Sorry about them, you know how they are.**_

I'm glad he doesn't ask a question. Nico's not one to ask questions, that's a good and bad thing. Right now, it's very good.

_**Did Reyna really call you?**_ Thalia's text reads.

**Yeah.**

_**Did you really end it?**_

**Not exactly, tell you later.**

_**Now.**_

**She said she loved me still and hung up before I could respond.**

_**Oh my god.**_

**Don't get your hopes up.**

_**I wont, you haven't been the same since school started. I'm not sure she knows that.**_

**Huh?**

_**She wants you back the exact way you were. And that ain't happening. You don't get your hopes up.**_

**Ok, got school now.**

_**Bye.**_

**Bye.**

I get to Psych and find Piper writing something down.

"Whacha doing?" I ask.

"Finishing up a Philosophy thing."

"Oh, what's that?"

"It's our year long project. We've just chosen our topics."

"What's yours about?"

"Well, I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't like any of the topics our teacher gave us, so I asked if I could simply make something else up." I give her a look, "Anyway, I have to think something up."

"Why didn't you like any of what was there?"

"Are you kidding? The questions were stupid. 'if life is so short why do we do things we don't like?' That's not deep, that's not thought provoking, that's annoying."

"I feel you there."

"So I'm asking a question of my own."

"What's that?"

"I'm not sure yet."

I laugh slightly, "Great start you've got."

"Shut up." She smiles scratching something out.

We take an impossibly easy test. It's ridiculous how long it takes the rest of the class to finish.

I don't get to talk to Piper before we leave for eighth period.

"See you tomorrow." She says before we leave class.

"No texts tonight?" I ask with a playful look.

"Only if you're lucky." She winks walking to Photography.

English is a bore. I only remember at the end of the day Annabeth and Percy want to talk to me. Great.

I sluggishly make it to my locker, tossing my unneeded items in.

"Jason!" I hear Annabeth's voice approaching.

"Hey." I greet, "What's up?"

"We're sorry." She sighs, her hand wrapped with Percy's.

"Don't worry about it. I overreacted." I respond.

"We shouldn't be pushing you like that, I know your breakup was rough."

"Yeah."

"You want to get frozen yogurt or something?"

I look into her hopeful face, "Sure."

"Great." She says closing my locker, "Let's go."

I meet all my friends at the yogurt place we sometimes go to. No one mentions Reyna.

The next day isn't too interesting. Piper and I spend lunch working on Pre-Cal and Psych. She helps me study for my final Crucible test, which she must know like the back of her hand because her answers are super in depth. She gets me a sure fire A.

I hang out with my friends as usual, and Saturday is over before I know it.

Sunday I get out of the house before Thalia, which is a very good thing.

I meet Piper at the campsite sign.

"Good afternoon." She curtsy's a bit. She's got a white short dress on today, bringing out the tan of her skin. She's also dawning the smudged remains of makeup . The residue of eyeliner still happens to perk up her otherwise tired eyes.

I bow in response.

"Let's go." She waves me over.

"Let's." When we reach the lake I see she's laid a blanket out on the grass. We take a seat beside one another. I'm still trying to understand this lake area. I try to take mental images of every detail.

"Story time?" I ask.

"I have a request."

"Go for it."

"Tell me about your friends."

"My friends?"

"How you met them. Where you met them. What they're like."

I nod, "Aright." I pause momentarily to remember where I met each of them, "Well, there's Percy. He's like my older brother. We co-stared in my first film when we were nine and ten. He's always just been, so fun to hang out with.

"Though he can be pretty annoying sometimes, we're really close. We've been in a lot of films together over the years. I could never compete with the guy in acting he's just that good. While I've never seen him serious outside of his movies, he's really loyal. He cares, genuinely which is really hard to come by.

"I think that's his-... Oh wait. No, story time. Okay, I was nine years old, right?"

"Oh no." She laughs.

"Yes." I chuckle, "So, I walk on set to meet the kid I'm going to work with, Percy. His mom walks over with him and we introduce ourselves. He and I start talking and he says something about how weird it is that my dad would come with me. I didn't know that his dad was hardly present in his life, and he didn't know my mom was dead.

"He then says, 'Why's your mom not here? Does she not care?' And-"

"Oh my fucking god!"

"Yeah. I started thinking that my mom died because she didn't care and I burst into tears. Percy's mom, Mrs. Sally, AKA the nicest most genuine person you will ever meet, comes over and hugs me while she's yelling at her son. She didn't know how he made me cry but I remember looking at her and saying, 'Did my mommy really die because she didn't care about me?'"

"Oh baby!" She laughs.

"And Mrs. Sally gives Percy the most terrifying death glare as she comforts me. She made him apologize, sometimes when Percy says something rude to me she reminds him of our first encounter. After that Percy and I became the best of friends. I'm still Mrs. Sally's favorite though."

"I can't tell if that's awful or not." She laughs.

I wink before continuing, "Then there's my friend Leo. He and I go way back to when I first started school down here. On our first day of school the other kids thought I was a freak because they'd heard about my mom. Leo came right up to me and said, 'You'll do.' A-" She's laughing too hard for me to continue.

"You'll do? What's he going to do experiment on you?"

"Little bit."

"Continue."

"So he said, 'You'll do' and he took me to the playground so we could climb the rock wall on the playground. When we reached the top he told me we'd be good friends since he didn't have a mom either. Ever since he's been a jokester and a good pal. You'd like him. He doesn't know when to shut up, sometimes it's great. Other times... You get the idea.

"Then there's Frank, who's really... I'm just going to say it, he's the most awkward kid I have ever met, but it's all a part of his charm. We met when shooting a movie three years ago. There's a small story about him. When we first met I has just finished filming a scene were I got attacked by a group of monsters. I had a bunch of fake blood and such all over me.

"When I walked up to him I heard him make the most pathetically adorable sound ever. I said that it was my everyday wear, I called it my recently mauled look. He said and I quote, 'Try showing some bone, it'd enhance the mauled look you're going for.' I knew we'd be great friends. We're the same age by the way.

"He has a girlfriend named Hazel who's a total sweetheart. We met... Actually we met when my friend Nico was hanging out with her. I found some kids messing with him and Hazel, so naturally I walked up, put my arms around them and took them out to lunch."

"Prince Charming strikes again." She laughs.

"Hazel's a Freshmen, which we give her hell for."

"Of course." She cuts in with a smile.

"I mentioned Nico already. He and I met two years ago when he first moved in next door to Percy. We may or may not have accidentally egged his house when we were egging this asshole, Octavian's house. But shh, he doesn't know that was us. He's really quiet, but he's really cool. And he's the most understanding guy I've ever known. He's a Sophomore right now."

"You egged his house." She backpedals.

"Yeah... Well, there's this kid, Octavian who we hate. His dad's a millionaire or something so he thinks he's all that. We egged his house because he tried to date a friend of ours, Rachel, and he was creeping on her.

"Hmm, then there's... Oh, there's a story here."

She scoots in closer before putting her chin in her hand. After a quick laugh I start.

"So, Percy and I are working on a film together right? We're eleven and ten years old, respectively. There's a girl on set who totally has a stick up her ass thinking she's better than us.

"So, Percy and I decide if she's going to be rude to us we're going to be rude back. Being stupid kids, we get the great idea to prank her."

"Oh my god, Jason." Piper laughs.

"I was ten." I remind her, "Anyway, Percy and I decide that all girls are terrified of spiders so we buy a crap ton of the plastic rubbery spiders that they sell at the dollar store. We got one of those huge jars, that's about as tall as a four year old, full of them right?"

"I don't like where this is going."

"But wait, there's more." I laugh, "We spend an entire hour, after she's gone home, strategically placing spiders all around her trailer. The next day we wait outside of her trailer and we hear screams of bloody murder. I've never heard a sound of more absolute, sheer horror as I do in that moment. She's screaming and crying. Her stylist says she found her sitting on a table armed with an encyclopedia."

"You are terrible." Piper laughs.

"And that's how we met Annabeth."

"I bet she still hates you for that one."

"She never speaks of it. But she does have a terribly incurable fear of spiders."

Piper rolls her eyes, "You scarred an eleven year old girl for the rest of her life."

"I mean, spiders are scary." I chuckled, "Mind you, you're laughing at the pain of an eleven year old girl. You're not entirely saintly."

"Just tell me about Annabeth you jack ass." She chuckles.

"She's a genius but also such a smart ass. Like, my god, everything you say will come back to you at some point with her. But I love her like a sister. She and Percy are around the same age and are currently dating."

After a moment of thought an incoherent noise escapes from my mouth, "Uhg... Can I just say Percy and Annabeth are the most annoyingly cute couple to exist?"

"You may."

"Because oh my god, they need to get a room. No one needs to see them be all loving on each other."

"Is it sickening?" She asks lightly.

"In the most adorable way."

"That's the worst. Let me guess, they're the couple who left in the middle of the terrible movie."

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!" I shout.

"Gross. Let me just say that, gross."

I laugh for a moment before getting back on track, "I think that's just about everyone."

She nods looking out to the lake, "They sound cool."

"They are. They're my family. Them and Thalia of course." She looks back at me, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Friends?"

"Oh right. My dad!" I laugh as she bites her tongue in thought, "Well, you know about Mitchell and Lacey. The rest of my friends are assholes and only my friends when we have to work together."

"Really?"

"Models are the bitchiest of bitches. Seriously, if you think High School girls are catty you've never been to a modeling shoot. Or fashion shows. I hate fashion shows so much."

"That's interesting."

"How so?"

"Well, you're doing something you hate so much."

She sighs, "I didn't always hate it. And I actually don't hate it. I hate the people. I hate how people react to seeing me in advertisements or whatever. Like, I'm not trying to provoke you, or turn you on, or whatever. I'm doing my job which is a form of art. Learn to deal and keep your dick out of my business."

"Well said."

"Is that sarcasm I hear?"

"No, it's honesty. You're personifying what I've always assumed about people like you."

"People like me?"

"Models, I mean. You love what you do and wish the shaming, annoying people would go suck a dick."

She laughs, "I agree."

"So really, no other friends?"

"Nope."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire."

She giggles which is weirdly appropriate, "Oh?"

"Duh."

"Who'd I miss?"

"Me!"

"Oh yeah. So, you want me to talk about you?"

"Hell yeah."

She has a moment of hesitation, "What if you don't like what I have to say?"

"Well, obviously I'll tell you that."

She nods, "I think you're wonderfully kind."

"Wrong."

She laughs again before continuing, "I think you've got an easy sense of humor. But honestly? I feel like you trust me more than I would have pegged you for."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm just assuming that you don't talk to people the way you talk to me. Of course I don't talk to you like I talk to other people. But I find that peculiar."

I give her another look.

"You're an odd one, Jason. But I think I like it that way."

Her phone buzzes beside her.

"Allô?" She smiles a bit, "Bon jour Mama. Pour quoi? Ah... Ah oui...Papa est tres bon. Je suis avec un ami, Mama... Pas comme ça... Encore... Au revoir Mama."

"Sorry." She laughs with me, "My mom wanted to talk but I told her I'm out."

"You are forgiven."

"Thank you master."

After an uncomfortably long pause I say, "I like the sound of French."

"A lot of people do."

"You should say something."

She chuckles but complies, "J'ai des sentiments pour toi."

"That's what you said last time."

"Mais c'est vrai."

I smirk at her seemingly innocent comment, "Okay what was that?"

"But it's true."

"What is?"

"That I've spoken something."

"I hate you."

She winks as she stands up, "I think I should go, I have a crap ton of homework due tomorrow and I haven't started any of it."

"For shame."

She shrugs offering me a hand, "Christ you're heavy." She jokes, pulling me up.

"That's called muscle, darling."

"Whatever you call it, it's fucking heavy."

"Next week? Same time?"

"For sure."

I start walking away, "Hey Piper!"

She looks up at my departing figure.

"Don't forget to question everything!" I call.

"Is that a dig at my Philosophy class!?"

"Hells yes!" I smirk, though I'm not sure she can see it.

"Go fuck yourself."

"Gladly." I wave departing from her presence.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm going to spare you the details of this past week, it was too boring.

Normal classes.

Normal friends.

Normal dad.

I write a stupid song. Well, my song writing crew writes one, actually. Lupa doesn't want to "burn me out." Eye roll.

Moving the fuck on to more important things.

Important things like the fact that I think I'm accidentally letting myself get too involved with Wash U... I mean Piper.

This last week we just talked. Like we've been doing, of course. But we talk all day and at night sometimes too. I can count on her to be up long enough for my dad to go on a rampage. She'll stay awake with me until it's over.

I learned that her favorite color is purple. She's a dog and cat person, she doesn't like to be told you're one or the other. She's a vegetarian because one of her uncles owns a farm that she got to spend a summer on, at which she saw the slaughter of a pig and fainted. She spent an entire summer in South America with the natives just learning about their culture. She's been to Russia, China, Japan, Australia, all over Europe, Bolivia, Belize, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Fiji, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Chile and even to some country called Barbados. She's told me all about this one time when she went to the Winter Palace in Russia she saw a bunch of crazy theorist who were convinced the Romanov family was still inside.

She doesn't know how to ride a bike. She doesn't know how to twerk (Showed her how with my mad skills and all she did was laugh.). She's never been to church for mass or anything religious, just for tourism. She doesn't like the idea of outer space, it freaks her out. She's never even eaten at an In-n-Out burger.

But what's really cool about her is that she lets me talk. She asks me questions, she patiently waits for answers. She legitimately loves to learn about me and my life.

That's what scares me. We've only been talking for what?... Four weeks now. Hold up... Yeah, four weeks. And I've already started getting that stupid feeling of a crush.

I am a seventeen year old boy, crushes should not be affecting me. But it so is and I don't know how to stop it.

It's embarrassing! I stop whatever I'm doing to text her. I try to text her first every time I get home. This past week my father got really pissed at me for my poor performance at the studio and she let me call her up. All we did was talk. She didn't even tell me to talk about my father, she just let me talk about why I like pineapple and brick houses! Who does that!?

Anyway, I guess I can start on Sunday. We decide to meet at one instead of four. It's blisteringly hot even as September is in full swing. I don't see her when I park my car.

I get to walking, I know the trail well enough. The clearing is empty, the little cottage seems to wilt in the sunny warmth. The lake ripples with heat waves.

I walk right up to the front of the house to see Piper working on the small garden.

"Hey." I surprise her.

She jumps before looking at me. She smiles putting down her tools, "Hey. How are you?"

"Mighty fine." I smile back.

"You wanna help? I'm almost done." She gestures to the flowers she had been tending.

I don't see why not. I climb into the garden and help her dig up weeds.

"You know, California is great and all, but taking care of plants year round isn't great at all." She says violently attacking a deeply rooted weed.

"I get that." I say uprooting the weed in one swift tug, "You're not much of a gardener are you?"

"No... What gave it away?" She chuckles.

"Because you don't exactly do this with grace."

"Was that a pun?" She asks.

I drop the weed in frustration as she begins to laugh, "Why does everyone think that every time I say the fucking word grace that it's a pun!? It's my last name goddamnit, not a built in joke!" I'm laughing as I rage.

She laughs with me, "In answer to your first question, my grandpa used to do this part. I'd just plant the flowers and water them during the evenings. I don't garden well. I've been doing this alone for three years and I still can't do it well.

"I've gotten really good at planting vegetables. Flowers? Not so much. Weeding? It might as well be rocket science."

"Well, you're in luck. I happen to be very good at rocket science." I say.

"Really?" She laughs, "You can garden?"

"I mean, how hard can it be?"

"Uh, impossible?" She asks shoveling dirt back around the flower she'd dug up.

"Nothing's impossible, and now you have triple the man power."

"Oh, so you count as three?"

"You know it." I respond.

"Well, I'm done now." She says throwing her gardening tools into a carrier.

"Aren't I a great help?"

"The best." She winks putting the tools into a shed that leans against the wilting cottage.

"So now what?"

Her eyes light up, "You wanna swim?" She asks running her dirt caked hands down her shorts.

"Swim?"

"Yeah, in that lake there." She points.

"Oh my god, there's a lake here!? Why didn't you tell me!?" She doesn't answer me instead she takes off her sneakers.

"Seriously, I'm going in."

"But I don't have a swim suit." I say gesturing to my jeans and tee shirt.

"Baby doll, you were born with one." I think I blush because she laughs, "Besides who needs a suit?" She tears off her sweat stained shirt and chucks it over the fence onto the grass.

She's wearing a lavender bra with white lace. The tag is sticking out the back.

"Uh..."

"Bashful? I didn't know that about you." She laughs taking her pants off to reveal hot pink and black striped underwear that does not at all match her bra. I guess she wasn't envisioning us swimming in our underwear and therefore didn't think about matching.

She's hot, let me get this out of the way and just fucking say it. She is hot. Her caramel skin shimmers with sweat and smoothness in the bright sunlight. Her stomach is flat with the vague presence of a six pack.

"Come on scaredy cat." She says running out into the lake.

"I just..." I want to say that if I get back home holding my damp boxers my father will be furious. But I kind of realize that I'll be dry by then and it can't really hurt can it? So, I strip off my clothes, keeping my boxers on, and run after her.

The water is cold as fuck. I can feel disturbed sediments stirring up around me like they're exfoliating my body. It's weird but not exactly uncomfortable.

"It's not that bad!" Piper shouts at me.

"To you maybe!" I call back. She swims out farther, beckoning me to follow. I brace myself and follow her out to the center of the lake.

"See, not bad." She laughs splashing me. I take that as a call to war, so I shove her completely underwater. She's not strong enough to push me off of her, but I let her up eventually. Her hair covers her face entirely.

"Not cool." She laughs though, which allows me to assume it wasn't a dire offense.

"You splashed first." I shrug.

"Alright I'll give you that." She rolls her eyes, "Long week?"

"Not any longer than usual."

"That's not so good." She says.

I look up, "So, what's this week's topic?"

"Hm..." She muses over what we could potentially discuss, "Funny stories. I want to laugh."

I develop a sly smile, "Then do I have a story for you."

"Is excited." She says swimming away a little bit, probably so she can stand.

"I don't know if you know Leo very well."

"I only really know his outbursts in class."

"Then you know him, pretty well." She chuckles, "So, he's a bit of an ass, and this one time my friends and I were at the grocery store buying cake mix."

"Normal."

"Oh completely. Anyway, Leo was telling a black joke. Just as he gets the punch line which, yes, does have a slavery comment. This huge black wrestler looking guy stands right behind us. Now, let me give you a mental image. He's taller than me, three times as muscular, has gauges, tattooed arms, and a completely shaved head. He could snap me in half. And Leo has just delivered this terribly racist punch line.

"We book it. All of us at high speed are running up and down aisles trying to lose this guy who we swear is following us. Between us we have eight boxes of sprinkled cake mix. We give the three girls with us the boxes of cake mix so they can go pay, while Percy, Leo, and I run to the dairy aisle. We get cornered between the yogurt and the eggs.

"This guy is looming over us, and at this point we're all already sending out our funeral invites. He walks up all tough looking, glances at each of us and lays his eyes on Leo. I am this close to jumping in front of him to be a human sacrifice, when this guy takes Leo's hands and says, 'It's okay-'" I stop to let Piper catch her breath from her laughter, " He says 'it's okay.' and takes him into a hug. He says, 'I know it's hard, but it's going to be okay. We all have these phases and it will pass.' And he starts stroking Leo's hair. Percy and I die laughing. I actually start crying because this was fucking hysterical. Then the guys promptly leaves. We now call it the Dairy Incident."

"That is the best thing, I have ever heard." Piper laughs.

I feel an unprecedented swell of pride grow in my chest, "Your turn. Funny story, go."

"Alright, so a year and a half ago, my dad and I went to Morocco for a summer holiday. Now fun fact time, my dad and I try to do things together and one of them was learn a language. So, we decided why not learn Spanish and then go to a Spanish speaking country.

"Well, my dad thought Morocco was a Spanish speaking country, which it sort of is, but isn't. One of the first mornings we're there, we get up at the crack of dawn to go surfing, because my dad and I surf together. After a while we go back to the hotel and change out of our wet suits into bathing suits.

"So, we're on the beach, which is mostly populated by tourists and vacationers. It's late afternoon so people are coming and going, getting drinks from the bar, and what have you. My dad and I start realizing that people are staring at us like we're crazy. Of course being my dad and I, we don't really do much about it."

"Normal." I say just to see her roll her eyes.

"So, I'm laying there on the beach in my swim suit, when I start noticing I have to be the only one on this beach younger than thirty. Now this hotel has an age limit of thirteen or older, but I am probably the youngest person there.

"I sit up and notice this stumbling fool walking toward my dad and me. I stand up to brush the sand off my legs and air out my towel when the guy reaches me."

"This is where it gets good." I guess.

"Oh yeah, real good. I remember he started shouting in Spanish at my dad, while pointing at me. I remember distinctly hearing the words, 'cheap, dirt, and chicken.' But I couldn't understand much of anything else until he slipped into French. Which, side note, Moroccan's slip between languages quite often.

"Anyway, he says, 'Clean up your slut of a daughter. She's a piece of trash that doesn't belong in public.' At this point my dad's attention has been gained, but he doesn't know what to do or say because he has completely understood everything this guy has said (he grasped Spanish way better than I did and still teases me about it.), I realize this guy is drunk off his ass, and I've just be entirely insulted.

"So, I do what any normal person would do and cover his head with my towel that I was just de-sanding, wrap him in it and kick him into the sand, before absolutely booking it back to the hotel. My dad runs after me, so this thirty-eight year old man and his fifteen year old daughter run through a five star hotel until we run into our hotel room where we just start laughing.

"My dad tells me that he can't believe what's just happened and neither can I. Just as we calm down and I come to the conclusion that things can't get any weirder, we look into the living room area where the maid has stopped in her tracks, vacuum still running, cords in her hand, and I swear to god an entire fucking pineapple in her mouth."

"What the hell!?" I gag on my own breath.

"I'm not kidding, spines and all, an entire pineapple. Then we hear what sounds like Arabic hard rock playing in the background. My dad and I lose our shit again. I legitimately feel this pain in my stomach laughing so hard. We go pack all of our things, change into street clothes, and check out of the hotel that day about an hour after all of this has happened.

"The concierge is like, you're checking out a week early was something wrong? And my dad, who is unable to keep his fucking mouth shut when he can be a sass master says, 'It went great, you know, just some drunken employee told me that my daughter wasn't worth more than two bags of chicken feed but he'd raise it to three and the swim suit if I'd get her off the beach.' I couldn't hold myself together, I lost it. While the concierge is like, I'm so sorry I'll refer you to another vacation spot, I'll find some way to compensate you, my dad reaches down into his bag and pulls out the pineapple that had been in the cleaning ladies mouth and it has a distinct bite mark in it, but it looks really weird.

"I hear my dad say, 'And is it normal for your employees to eat my plastic decoratory fruit?' I just... Even now I want to laugh so hard that I cry." The two of us splash in our fits of laughter, trying to calm down long enough to finish the story.

I gasp for breath, "I need to hear the end of this."

"The concierge pays for a flight to Madrid and fully reimburses us for our trip. So, we stay in Spain for a bit, I go shopping with my mom who drives down from France to come see us. We have a generally nice time. But when we try to come home we have trouble getting through security because, my dad kept the stupid pineapple."

We again erupt into fits of laughter, "So, the TSA guy pulls a plastic pineapple with a bite mark in it, out of my dads bag. Everyone's face is priceless. I'm red faced trying not to laugh, my dad looks like he's not even sorry, and the TSA guy looks at it for a moment, pinches his lips together and then says, 'You know... I've seen a lot of weird shit today. But this is probably the best thing I've found all day.' My dad and I signed it before the guy let us go. His name is Samuel by the way. Now every time we fly into the Madrid international airport we visit the TSA area to visit him. The pineapple is now on display in his office." We're dead, laughing. My sides hurt and I keep dunking my head under water but even that doesn't quell my laughter.

"How," I breathe, "was that at all relevant to the story I told?"

She sniffs, wiping away a tear, "Yours is referred to as the Dairy Incident. Mine is referred to the Morocco Incident."

"Not the Pineapple incident?"

"No, because I still eat pineapple, but I will never go back to Morocco."

"That's hilarious." We both take a few deep breaths, "Should we get out?"

"Do you want to?" She asks.

"Yeah, I've got to dry off."

When we get back to the cottage she picks up both of our piles of clothing, "You want to come inside?" I nod following her inside.

I've already mentioned before, this house looks like a cottage from a fairy tale. But inside? Just wow. It's really nice, open, high tech. It's odd in a way.

"Bathroom's down that hallway, the first door on your right. Towels are in the top cupboard over the toilet. Laundry room is the next door over. Feel free to use the shower or anything else." She says tossing our clothes on the couch.

"Thank you." I say sincerely.

She looks up and smiles, "No problem."

I head in the direction of the bathroom. I quickly shower off before wrapping my lower half in a towel and throwing my boxers in the dryer. I walk back out to the main room, where she's standing in what looks like pj's. She's thrown her still damp hair into a messy bun. I like the dark tone her hair is when wet, I decide, it looks like rich mocha. She's in the kitchen doing something on the stove.

When she turns around she chuckles, "Now this, is a compromising situation."

"What? Me in a bathroom towel and nothing else? Compromising?" She hides her blushing face away, "What's the matter?" I ask jokingly.

"Nothing." She chuckles nervously, "You want some hot chocolate?"

"Sure." I answer sitting on a bar stool, "This is a nice little place."

She pours some milk into a sauce pan, "Yeah, my dad built it just for my grandpa."

"You should tell me about your grandpa." I say.

She walks to a cupboard, pulling out two coffee mugs, "Well... My Grandpa... I called him Grandpa Tom. He was born on a Rez."

I stop her then, "What's a Rez?"

"A Rez is a Reservation."

"Like for Native Americans?"

"Exactly."

"... You're Native American?"

"Yes sir." She smiles, "Half Cherokee, half French." She stirs the contents of the sauce pan as she continues, "He was born on the Qualla Boundary Reservation in North Carolina. He lived there for almost all of his life.

"When he was eighteen he got a job as a construction worker, at nineteen he got married, and at twenty he had his first kid. My grandparents had five kids together, all boys. My dad being right in the middle of them.

"My dad was ten years old when his mom passed away. His two older brothers, who were fourteen and twelve at the time, were the most influenced by the death of their mother. They got into all kinds of trouble, mostly for underage drinking.

"Grandpa Tom had a hard time raising five boys on his own, especially with two rebellious older sons. My dad started helping out more. He took care of his younger brothers, helped them with their school work, and whatnot.

"My dad even started cooking and cleaning. He got bullied for that, was constantly called the mother of the house by his classmates, and two older brothers. My dad didn't care too much, he just wanted to help his dad have an easier time." She serves up our hot chocolate and sits down next to me.

"I don't know if you know this, but on the Rez almost nobody really applies to college. But there are a few exceptions and my dad happened to be one of them. He applied pretty secretively, not wanting to be judged too severely by the Rez.

"It was pretty amazing actually, he got accepted to all three of his colleges. His two older brothers, who had started working with Grandpa Tom in the construction business, were outraged. Everyone was pretty shocked, they all had just expected him to stay on the Rez, marry a girl who had the hots for him, and take care of his little brothers.

"My dad felt bad about his acceptance and didn't dare to tell anyone that he'd gotten a full ride to Whittier College. My dad was actually going to decline all of his acceptances. But my Grandpa Tom pulled him aside and said, 'Why would you care about what they think of you when you have this chance to make a better life for yourself? You don't know what's going to happen, so how do you know it's not good?' My dad accepted his scholarship and started getting ready to leave the Rez.

"Everyone was pretty upset by his leaving. My dad's older brothers said he only got the scholarship because he was a redskin. Some of the more daring guys called him an Apple and a Radish."

"Foods?"

She chuckles, "They're red on the outside, white on the inside."

"Oh damn. That's harsh."

"Yeah, I know. Everyone hated him, they hated how 'white' he was becoming." She pauses for a moment, "My dad has always said he hated the Rez. He hated everyone there. Nothing on Earth could ever make him want to think about it. But he's wrong. He loved his dad. He may not believe in everything the Cherokee believe, but he used to pretend for Grandpa Tom. Which is sort of a big deal.

"Anyway, he went to college and studied, wait for it, History."

"Is that surprising?" I ask.

"Oh, that's right, you don't really know who my dad is, do you?"

"Not a stinking clue." I smirk.

"Can I trust you?"

"As long as I can trust you." I answer, locking my pinkie with her tiny pinkie.

"My dad is Tristan McLean." I feel shock settle in my body like a ton of bricks. He's been in every classic made after 1996. He's a legend and I'm sitting in front of his daughter totally crushing on her. What the hell?

"I've worked with him before." I say, somehow managing to keep my cool.

"Really?" She asks.

"Yeah, he was in a film with me and my best friend. Percy Jackson."

"You're friends with Percy Jackson? My dad thinks he's a little shit." She chuckles.

"That's because he is. Reason number eighty-five as to why I love your dad. "

"That's so crazy. I'll ask my dad if he remembers you."

"He probably won't."

"He'll remember you, he remembers some pretty extraordinary people." Oh god why did you say that? Now I'm blushing, "Anyway, my dad was a History major, with a minor in Greek studies. He was the first person in his family to graduate college." Tristan McLean, The Great Tristan McLean, has a History degree. What is life?

She takes a moment before continuing, "His dad and two younger brothers drove out to see him graduate. At the time his brothers were enrolled in university as well. My dad didn't start acting until he was out of college. He actually went to his first audition because he lost a bet with a girlfriend at the time.

"He dumped the girl, but got the part, so win some lose some. You know the rest, how he got successful. I don't need to tell you that. I told you about one of my uncles gaining ownership of that huge farm, and my youngest uncle running the largest hospital in Virginia. Half of my dad's family was successful and the other half was still on the Rez, working construction.

"His older brothers hated him because they felt like my dad turned away from the Rez. Which he did. When he'd visit on holiday people would comment on how ridiculous it was that he was an actor, and his two older brothers refused to speak with him. Not going to lie, it was pretty out of hand.

"And then, when my dad was twenty six years old, I came along and made things so much worse. I mean, not only was my dad living in the white man's world, now he had a bastard kid who happened to be half white. Talk about a slap to the face."

She looks forlorn for a moment so I nudge her, "You may be a bastard by definition, but so am I."

She laughs, "Cheers to that." We clank coffee mugs.

"To bastardy." I smile, taking a swig of hot chocolate. "Continue, fellow bastard."

She rolls her eyes, "When my dad showed up on the Rez with me for my first birthday the entire Rez shunned him. All except for my Grandpa Tom and my two uncles. They freaking adored me.

"I was the first girl to be born in the family. I literally only have three girl cousins on my dad's side of the family, and they're all younger than ten... Back to the point, I spent every summer for at least one week on that Rez. And let me tell you right now, the Rez is the best and worst place on earth. I used to be able to walk through town and not be given a second look. When I was about seven years old that changed. Kids started taunting me, calling me a half blood and a traitor. At nine years old I was spat at by a twenty year old man and called a piece of white trash, I never went into town again."

"But you don't even look white."

"But they know, they can tell just by looking at someone if they're full or half blooded. I wasn't spared at school either, mind you. At school I was called chief, redskin, oh I hated being called squaw. Or Squanto. I actually punched a kid for calling me Squanto once. On the Rez, the bullying was still there, it was just different." She shrugs for a moment before smiling.

"I loved my Grandpa Tom's home. It was pretty similar to this, only his was made of wood. I remember we used to sit together every night to watch the sunset. He'd tell me old Cherokee stories as he smoked, my grandma's worn quilt draped over his legs. My favorite place is in the heart of a land that hates me. How awful is that?"

"Pretty bad." I tell her.

"So, when I was ten my Grandpa got into an accident at work. He'd been working with my uncles when he passed out, falling off a suspender I believe. He passed out because he couldn't breathe, he was diagnosed with COPD and considered officially disabled. My dad left in the middle of filming so we could go see him.

"I remember that was the first time I'd ever seen my two older uncles. Of course they were pissed that my dad even had the audacity to visit Grandpa Tom. I remember sitting on Grandpa Tom's hospital bed filling in my little coloring book with him as my dad and uncles fought.

"He colored the sun purple, and I asked him why. He told me that the sun really was purple and that we just didn't know it. So, we colored my coloring books more absurd colors until the shouting outside stopped. I didn't know at the time, he was trying to distract me from the curse words and actual fist fighting that was going on outside.

"My dad was going to take care of my Grandpa Tom, since he could pay for the absolute best care possible. I've never been back to the Rez. Not since we took Grandpa Tom away from the hospital. We brought him home to live with us, but our house was way too big, he couldn't walk around very much without getting tired.

"So, my dad bought this lot, and had this house built in about a month. We built this house specifically so that Grandpa Tom could get around easily with his oxygen tubes."

"His what?" I ask suddenly.

"He had to have this big machine in his house filled with pressurized oxygen that got to him through these... How do I describe it?... It's like a long hollow cord that wrapped around to my Grandpa's nose so he could get enough oxygen... Does that make any since?"

"Sort of..."

"I can picture it, the whole thing is just hard to describe."

"Noted, continue."

"I used to come here after school everyday. I'd help my Grandpa Tom garden, I'd help him around the house, we would cook together, and while we ate he'd teach me old Cherokee lessons and stories. He tried to teach me the Cherokee language, but I'm not fluent in it.

"I used to talk to him about stupid ten year old crap that doesn't really matter, but he'd help me through anything. Even the dumbest of conflicts, he always had a solution. Most of all he'd read to me.

"He... He really gave me my love of reading. This man had never had the ability to read for pleasure. I don't even think he could afford to buy books. But for every Christmas my dad bought him books, because my Grandpa Tom loved to read.

"When my dad was planning out this house he had them build a library and he filled it with books. All kinds of them. Classics, Histories, Plays, Poems, and so many fiction novels. He would read to me, even though he was short of breath and constantly taking breaks to let his lungs catch up with him. I would watch his eyes light up, I'd see him smiling at the saddest of parts, it was a joy just to watch him read a book. You could see how much he loved it.

"About a year after he'd moved into this house, I started reading to him. Neither of us were willing to give up reading out loud to one another, but he got to the point where couldn't finish a sentence.

"He died when I was thirteen. My dad was devastated. My Grandpa Tom had died while I was in school. I remember being driven to Grandpa Tom's house after school, just as usual by my dad's assistant. I walked into the house and saw a Hospice nurse standing with my dad in the living room. When I walked in he ran to me and held onto me so tightly I thought my ribs would crack.

"He's still on antidepressants. My dad, I mean. Grandpa Tom's death was really hard on him, especially because we had to bury my Grandpa Tom on the Rez. He wouldn't have wanted to buried anywhere else. So we drove back to a place that hated us. Grandpa Tom's funeral was the last time I feel like I'll ever see my dad's two older brothers. I think my dad wants it that way too.

"My dad and I were really close to my Grandpa Tom. He had this presence anywhere he went, like he was stronger and wiser than he would ever give himself credit for. Fun fact about my dad, he'll never take a Native American role so long as he lives. Because Hollywood makes Native American's have this stereotypical savage look. My Grandpa Tom was proof that's not at all how they are."

"Do you ever ask your dad about your grandpa?"

"No. I don't want him to be sad about it. When he thinks about Grandpa Tom, you can tell it hurts him. At least I can... My Grandpa Tom was the one who told me all these stories about my dad.

"The only thing I ever remember my dad saying about Grandpa Tom after his death was that he took Grandpa Tom in because he would never turn his back on his own father, unlike his brothers. But if you ask me? I think he did it because Grandpa Tom never turned his back on my dad. No matter what my dad did, no matter what the circumstance was, Grandpa Tom never gave up on him. I aspire to be like that. To be like him, he just seemed to know everything. There is so much I wish I could talk to him about... Anyway, that's the story behind this house." Her eyes light up the kitchen, "Do you want to see something?"

"Sure." I say, putting down my empty mug.

"Come on." She takes me to the back of the house where she opens a door to reveal the library she had mentioned. Like an actual fucking library. There are so many books that one could get lost in the maze of shelves and texts, "These are all the books my dad gave my Grandpa."

"This is awesome." I tell her looking at each jam packed book shelf.

"I've added a lot of my own books over the years."

"What about this?" I ask pointing to a wall full of painted words.

"That's the wall of fame." She says, "Those are Grandpa Tom's favorite books and quotes."

I read some of the lines until I stop at one line that's particularly intriguing. "Where's the book title on this one?"

She reads where my finger is pointing, "Oh, that one's from the Chocolate Wars. I never wrote the book because I'll never forget that quote as long as I live."

"Do I dare disturb the universe?"

"Yeah." She smooths down her still wet bun, "There's one great part in the book where the main character has finally started standing up for himself and is looking in his locker. He talks about how at the beginning of their school year they can all decorate their lockers. And his only has one poster. It reads, 'Do I Dare Disturb the Universe.' And that always stuck with me. It makes me think. I'm not sure why. But it does. I mean, what would I dare to disturb the universe for?"

My teenage boy mind can't help but think, me. Hopefully. I'd disturb the universe for you, after all. But then I get embarrassed with myself and yell at my mind to shut up because there's something wrong with me for liking her this much already.

"Hey, enough with the sad face." I nudge her, "I'll tell you a funny story."

She laughs, "Okay," She takes me back out to the kitchen, where she starts cleaning up our hot chocolate, "You can sit on the couch."

I take a seat and wait for her to join me. When she sits down I start.

"So, at one time, I went to a catholic privet school, because my mom was crazy or something. I was seven years old and we had up to seventh grade in our school. Near the end of the school year the seventh graders get to dissect frogs.

"There was this one asshole who, all year was always dicking around, bullying the other kids. And well, the way our cafeteria was set up, was sort of like a buffet but no cafeteria ladies were ever watching the line.

"And this asshole kid-"

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. This asshole kid stole a bunch of frog entrails-"

"Oh my god no!"

"Shh! He cut up a bunch of the entrails and put it in the food when no one was looking. I was in second grade which had their lunch period right after seventh grade, for some weird reason. Now, two of my friends at the time and I brought our lunch every day because ew school food. Plus Thalia always made me a lunch because she loves me."

"Aw, cute. Sibling love."

I roll my eyes and continue, "We get to English, and you know how the class rooms are set up like arrays?"

"Yeah."

"Well it's three by four, I'm in the second row second chair, one of my friends right in front of me and our other friend next to me on my left. Right as our teacher starts taking attendance an announcement comes on, and I can hear it to this day, 'Teachers please pardon this interruption, if you would please send all students who bought lunch today to the nurses office. Again please send all students who bought their lunch to the nurses office.'

"And I remember my teacher standing up, walking to the front of the class, just about to ask who bought their lunch when the kid on my right throws up."

"Oh Christ no!"

"Yes. I yank my bag out of the aisle and onto my lap, because that one vomit set off a chain reaction of every kid in the room besides my two friends and I to throw up. Every fucking where. My friend Lindsey who sat in front of me had the smart idea to sit on her desk and run to our teacher. So my friend Cory and I navigate our way over to our teacher.

"Lindsey is in tears, Cory is silent which had never happened ever until that moment, and I'm just in shock. I went home that day and never completed the second grade. My mom transferred me to another privet school that was thankfully not religious based. Their school had already let out, therefore I have never completed the second grade."

"What the fuck even!?" She laughs, but is clearly disgusted.

"I know, right?"

"Just... Uhg!" She makes a face that's anything but cute. It's fucking adorable and I hate it.

"But you're laughing."

"I can see you clinging to the legs of an English teacher staring in utter terror as your classmates regurgitate their lunches." She laughs.

"Well... I mean, it's funny now."

She awes, for a moment before saying, "Pauvre bébé."

"English, gracias." I say in the whitest accent I can muster.

She laughs, "I said, poor baby."

"I want to say something in French. How do you say something?"

She smirks, upholding our running gag, "J'ai des sentiment pour toi."

"Slower." I request.

She chuckles, "J'ai."

"J'ai." I repeat.

"Des."

"Des.

"Sentiment."

"Sentiment."

"Pour."

"Pour."

"Toi."

"Toi."

"J'ai des sentiment pour toi."

"J'ai des sentiment pour toi."

She laughs lightly, "Close enough."

"I can't Spanish, I can try French."

"Well, I'll be happy to help." We smile at each other for a moment too long. Long enough for me to notice her lips and not long enough for me to kiss them. The dryer buzzes dramatically. What a fucking buzz kill.

"You want to go get dressed?" She asks.

"Yeah. I should do that." Pinching my lips together I walk back to the laundry room. I throw my clothes on quickly. Warm boxers are awesome and a comfort to the sinking feeling I got walking away from her. Warm boxers man. Deal with it.

"I should get going." I say walking back into the living room.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." She stands up to walk me out.

"Tomorrow." I promise. We hug awkwardly before I leave for my house. I can't get her out of my head. Everything about her is just so amazing. Every time we talk I learn more about her. I learn about how fucking cool she is. I mean that story about her Grandpa? I loved that. I loved listening to her. And the Morocco Incident? I was laughing so hard I was in tears.

When I get home, I walk straight into the kitchen. My father is talking to our cook.

"How was your studying?" He asks. I had told him I was at the library. And to some degree I was...

"Good. I got my essay done."

He nods, uncaring for my educational career, "Your sister's still at her photo shoot and won't be home until late."

"Okay."

"Wednesday you'll be meeting at the studio again. I'll be with your sister since she may be spending Thanksgiving break at a fashion show."

"Alright. I'll be upstairs." I turn and exit the kitchen as if my life had been written out as a play with stage directions.

I immediately turn on my computer and pull up Google when I get to my room.

I take a deep breath recalling her lovely words, "J'ai des sentiment pour toi." I mutter softly. They're beautiful words, but not as beautiful when they're not fresh from her lips.

I try to mimic the way her mouth moves when she speaks them as I type a rough idea of its spelling into Google translate to find its meaning. All along my favorite words have been, "I have feelings for you."

I get this stupid bubbly feeling in my chest as I realize what this means. We both like each other. Holy crap I love her!... I mean, love might be a bit strong. But I really like her a lot! And she likes me back! Oh my god, she likes me back, what am I ten?

I start thinking of ways to tell her. There's so much I can do. I have to prepare. I pull up Microsoft Word and type up a rough draft of a song. A song for Wash U. A song for the girl in Pre Cal. A song for the girl in Psych. A song for the girl who always has a story to tell. A song for Piper McLean, daughter of Tristan McLean. _The_ _Tristan __McLean_.

Seriously. This is happening.

I write this song for her and half way through figuring the chords out I find myself growing curious. I feel this itching to look her up, which is weird and awkward and you shouldn't look up the girl you have a crush on when you know she's a model. I look her up on Google anyway. I'm ashamed of it, yes. I'm ashamed because that's fucking creepy as hell. In a moment of redemption, I notice in her glamour photo's I find her sexy, but I don't find her beautiful.

Today she was beautiful. Today when she was covered in dirt and then stripped into her mismatched bra and panties. When she sloppily tied her hair back but it was perfect. When she put on crappy pj's before making hot chocolate. When she showed me the words on the wall in her library...

I go back to my word document and change the whole song. The new title; Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

For Piper, I'm about to.


	7. Chapter 7

On Monday I am hyped up on my excitement, so hyped, it interferes with my normal life. I think I smile too much. I think I make uncomfortable excited noises when people ask me about my weekend. I think I'm bouncing in my chairs. I think I'm two bouts of crazy close to skipping down the hallway.

J'ai des sentiment pour toi. I think over and over, hearing her sweet voice milk each phrase.

"Jason!" I'm shaken back into awareness by Nico of all people. He looks disgusted, but the others are still ordering their lunches. It's just us two experiencing my total and complete embarrassment, "Bro, you're about this close to drooling, what's the deal?"

"Uh... Just thinking about... Um..." Should I tell him? I mean, out of all my friends I trust him to keep his mouth shut. He hardly ever talks anyway. But would that be a smart move? Would he even care?

"About?"

"Uh..." Oh crap! What do I say? Can I tell him? Do I trust him!?

"Hey, how did you feel about the new section in Pre Cal?" Leo asks sliding in next to me.

"Oh, pretty confident." I say as the others take their seats.

"So, Homecoming!" Hazel smiles at our group.

"You're not buying into that crap are you?" Nico asks.

"Aw, come off it Nico, you know it'll be fun." She teases. Nico only sighs in response.

"Homecoming is still what? Three weeks away?" I ask.

"Yeah, but we should do something special." Hazel says.

"Senior year and all." Annabeth points to herself.

"Well do you guys want to rent a Limo or something?" I ask.

"That's so generic." Leo protests.

"You all have any ideas?" I ask yet again.

"I think we should have a nice dinner somewhere, because they serve a dinner but it's not always good." Annabeth reasons.

The girls continue to discuss Homecoming plans as I take my phone out. I flip through my contacts and when I find Nico I shoot him a quick text.

**I'll tell you later.**

_**You don't have to. I mean I don't really care.**_

**I'll tell you later.**

_**Okay.**_

Have I mentioned that I love this boy?

I listen to the tedious plans the girls are making for Homecoming, before we head back to school. Sitting in Health, Nico sends me a text.

_**Alright you've got until the end of this period to tell me what's up before I lose interest.**_

**I'm in love with a girl none of you have really ever met and I'm going to ask her out.**

_**... What?**_

**I'm in love.**

_**I've never met her?**_

**None of you have.**

_**It's not you know who?**_

**It's not Voldemort.**

_**Wow dork. For real.**_

**It's not Reyna. It's someone else.**

_**What's her name?**_

**Piper.**

_**I'm Googling her.**_

**Go for it.**

_**... The model?**_

**Yeah.**

_**Dude, she is way too hot for you.**_

**I know that.**

_**Wait, she's the daughter of Tristan McLean?**_

**Yes she is.**

_**She is so out of your league.**_

**I've actually spoken to her though.**

_**Yeah, but how have you even been able to talk to her?**_

**Well, we've been talking. We share a Psych class together.**

_**... You're telling me Tristan McLean's babe of a daughter comes to our school and isn't top dog?**_

**Yes I am. If you don't believe me come to my Psych room W212.**

_**I'll be there. You realize you're going to have to woo her right?**_

**I do.**

_**Do you have a plan?**_

**Sort of...?**

_**You're helpless.**_

**Sorry I'm not your perfect teen heart throb like Percy.**

_**Low blow dude.**_

**Right, sorry.**

_**It's cool. Look, if you want, after school Friday I can help you out.**_

**Really!?**

_**Don't turn into a squealing little girl about it okay? Love is an art form and you have to... You know, do it right.**_

**Thanks bro, you're awesome!**

_**I knew that already.**_

**See you in Psych.**

_**Sure.**_

The bell rings as our Health movie finishes. As I sit in Psych I wait for Nico to show up, only he's a no show.

I slump in my seat, listening to Mr. Harper drone on and on about psychological discord, which causes at least seven different students to ask if we're watching the movie Psycho. He passes out a worksheet instructing partners only.

Piper takes her seat beside me.

"Afternoon." She smiles.

"Afternoon." I return the gesture before whispering, "Did you get why he used that example of Cajun Dwarves?"

"I've learned to go with it." She replies, "The whole damned worksheet is about them."

"No, numbers ten through fifteen are about divorced communist women."

"This class is a joke." She says filling out the worksheet.

"Number eight is depression right?"

"I thought is was aspergers." She says checking my work. As she's reading my answers I see Nico stroll into the classroom.

"Mr. Harper." He greets.

"Hey, man. There's my favorite Italian History and Language guy." Mr. Harper runs AcaDec (Academic Decathlon) Nico got the team to Nationals with his extensive knowledge of Mussolini and Renaissance art. It was a big deal. Apparently.

"Mrs. Faust wants to see you, she says it's about a student who's been thinking about joining AcaDec."

"Okay, hey thanks. You know we need some people who are good at Literature too."

"Got it." As Mr. Harper leaves Nico pretends to notice me, "Oh, hey Jason." He says coolly.

"Hey, Nico." I wave him over, Piper looks up from our work.

"You have this class with Harper? Lucky asshole." He smirks.

"Depends on what you call lucky." I respond.

"Cajun Dwarves?" Nico asks.

"Yes. It's horrid."

"Ah..." He looks at Piper who's filling out the rest of her worksheet, "Hey." He greets her.

She looks up in surprise, "Hi." She says, she's begun blinking a lot in nervousness. I can tell she wants to lick her lips self consciously. She looks like a turtle trying to hide in her Wash U shell.

"I'm Nico. Friend of Jason's." He's acting, not only civil, but friendly. Two things he most certainly is not, most of the time.

"Piper, also a friend of Jason's." She blushes a light pink, "You're the AcaDec superstar."

"And you're... Smart?" He asks, we all chuckle.

"Let's go with that." She says.

"Are you new to the school? I don't think I've ever seen you around."

"You probably haven't. I'm not exactly noticeable." She plays with a random braid in her hair.

"Neither was I until I became a legend and slaughtered the Prometheus preparatory school in Italian Translation."

"Impressive, are you fluent?"

"Yeah, first language. Do you know any?"

"Un po '. Non molto bravo a farlo... I think?"

Nico chuckles, "That's right actually. But you try to make it sound like French."

"That's probably because French is my first language... Technically speaking."

"Really?" He asks.

"Yeah, I was born in France, so French is my 'first language' even though I speak English and French just about the same."

"See, I was born here, but was raised in Italy for eight years so I know Italian better than English."

"People don't realize how difficult it is being born in one country and then moving to another."

"No one else, I've ever spoken to get's that."

"It's so embarrassing, when I go to France on Holiday I get the worst accent ever and it doesn't go away for weeks."

"I went back to Italy for two months the summer before last and I had an accent until Christmas."

"I am so sorry." She chuckles, "Do you understand French?"

"Not in the slightest bit."

"Really?"

"Really. I thought I knew some French but when I tried asking where the bathroom was I accidentally asked where the club was. At the time I was ten years old. So, yeah."

We're both chuckling at Nico as Mr. Harper walks back into the room, "Thanks for watching my class, man."

"No problem." Nico smiles leaving the room.

"So you speak more than French and English?" I ask.

"I speak Italian badly and Spanish even worse. I've been trying Latin but I just can't with it."

"I speak English and Text. That's it." I tell her.

"Hm... You were right on eight by the way."

"Victory is mine." I smirk as we finish together.

When I get to English I notice a text from Nico.

_**I approve.**_

**Yays!**

_**You have your work cut out for you.**_

**I knew that already.**

_**My house, Friday, after school.**_

**Yes sir.**

_**And Jason, don't fuck up.**_

**I don't plan to.**

Class is stupid. Literally that's all you need to know. Class is dumb, all we do is turn in the Crucible to get The Scarlet Letter.

I get home and find my father standing in the kitchen.

"Jason." He doesn't bother to look away from what he's doing.

"... Hey dad can I ask you something?" I ask suddenly.

He looks at me skeptically, "Course."

"Are we doing anything Friday?"

"Why?"

"Nico wants to hang out."

He gives me skeptical eyes. He doesn't approve of me hanging out with Nico since he's branded him as, Emo. Not to mention he thinks I easily swayed which is pretty weird if you ask me, "Thalia and I will be gone Friday. Make certain you two aren't... alone."

"Dad, Nico's not going to change me." I sigh.

"Are you sure?" It's a threat.

"Yes dad I'm sure I'll still be exactly like this when I get back."

"Just making sure." He returns to whatever the hell he was doing.

I get up stairs and start my homework. I wonder what I'll tell Percy and the others but I remember they start filming Friday anyway. So, it wouldn't matter where I am.

_**Jason, I need you to brainstorm ideas on how to win Piper over.**_

**Nico I know she likes me.**

_**Yeah, but liking you and saying yes are two totally different things.**_

**Nico don't scare me.**

_**I'm just saying. Are you going to take her to Homecoming or something?**_

**No, I'm not... I don't... I want her and I to be a quiet thing.**

_**Got it.**_

The rest of the week Nico keeps quiet about Piper, somehow I do too. Even though my excitement is at an overflowing level, I manage to keep my trap shut.

I get to Nico's place after school, not bothering to go home first. He let's me in right away.

"Hey oh." I greet him.

"Yo." He jokes letting me in.

"Nico?" I hear his step-mom call to him from the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Who's here?"

"It's just Jason, Persephone!" He calls to her. He rolls his eyes, closing the door behind me.

I watch his step-mom, a blonde petite little thing, run into the front hall. She's wearing heals even though she's home, and looks like she's been baking. She's wearing her customary floral print pink dress with matching apron, covered in flour, of course. Her hair is curled meaning it bounces in time with each step she takes.

"I didn't know you were having friends over." She bubbles like she always does... At least when I'm around. Nico thinks she's Satan. I think she's sickly sweet, but the woman owns a flower shop, I mean seriously. Plus she bakes for fun.

"It's just me Mrs. Di Angelo." I smile at her. She's the kind of person you smile at. No matter what, you smile or they dump you in sugar and demand to know every issue in your life.

"I haven't seen you in a while Jason. How's Thalia?"

"She's well, thanks for asking."

"Give her my best."

"I will."

"Persephone we'll be upstairs."

"Nico, how many times have I told you to call me mamma?" I want to laugh but that would be terrible.

Nico doesn't respond, he just leads me up the stairs to his room.

"Let's fix you." Nico says pulling up YouTube and a notebook, "Because you need help."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're hopeless." He says.

"How am I hopeless?"

"What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for a girl, that wasn't in a movie?"

"Uh... I wrote Reyna that song."

"Oh, you mean the one you played for her at last year's Easter party and then proceeded to get caught boinking in Percy's basement?"

"That was romantic."

"Percy asked to join."

"Okay, so I have issues with romance. That's why you're here right?"

"Exactly." He says, "So, what did you want to do?"

I pull out the song and hand it to him, "Last week when we talked, she told me one of her favorite quotes was do I dare disturb the universe. When I wrote the song, I thought about that."

He nods, "Play it or sing it?"

"Singing it seems too cliché."

"Girls love cliché."

"I'm not sure if she does or not." I tell him.

"Then have both ready." Nico decides. This is a side of him I rarely get to see. It's a treat to see him so honestly happy and excited. I haven't seen him like this in a long time.

"Mkay... So, how do I ask her?"

"Slow down, you need to decide what you're going to do. Where you're going to meet."

"I have that covered."

"Oh?"

"There's this place we meet. It's on her privet property by a lake in the woods. We're alone there and it's just this nice little intimate place. It's the only place we see each other outside of class. It's beautiful."

Nico smiles in a way that would be creepy if I didn't know him so well, "That'll work."

"By the way, you're the only one who will know anything about her."

"Jason, seriously, who would I tell?"

"Bianca?"

"Nah, Bianca wouldn't ask about your love life."

"Okay, good."

"... Alright now, what do you want to say?"

"Uh..."

"What do you think of when you think of her?"

"I think of her words. Because words are a powerful thing to her."

"Her words?"

"When we talk... She comes to life. Even through text she's just so... Lively and happy. Her first words to me in French were; j'ai des sentiment pour toi. And that's how I know she likes me back."

"She said that to you?" He asks searching through YouTube for something.

"Yes."

"Dude, she's legit, she'll say yes no matter what you say to her."

Just then I get a text.

_**Hey.**_

**Hey there.**

"She's texting me." I tell him.

"Dude, what are you a teenage girl?"

"Yes! I am right now."

"Just be calm bro."

_**What's up?**_

**Hanging with Nico.**

_**Oh cool. Tell him I say hi.**_

"She says hi." I tell Nico.

"Cool." He responds when a knock comes at the door.

"Hi boys, I made you some cookies." Nico's step-mom puts a platter of cookies on the bed where Nico and I are sitting, "I made you some lemonade too. I would have made cake if I'd known you were coming Jason." She tells me.

"Persephone, I told dad on Tuesday and he said he'd tell you. Don't blame me." Nico complains.

"I wasn't blaming you, Nico Dear." She says in a tone too sweet for comfort, "I also ordered some pizza that should be arriving shortly okay?"

"Thank you Mrs. Di Angelo." I smile at her.

"Oh, you're welcome honey." She smiles leaving the room.

"God I hate that woman." Nico shudders, "She gives even me the creeps."

"That is an incredible feat." I say taking a bite out of a cookie. I think they're chocolate with peanut butter chips. "But she makes great cookies."

Nico eats one reluctantly, "She just needs to tone down the cheery." He tells me.

"I second that."

I text Wash U... Piper, back.

**He says hi back.**

_**So... Who is this?**_

**Huh?**

_**Jason... I don't recall a Jason.**_

**What?**

"Nico!" I show him the texts I've just received.

"Why is her name Wash U?"

"Because of her sweater! Why doesn't she know who I am-" My phone rings with an incoming call, "What do I do!?" Nico presses the accept button and shoves the phone into my ear, "Hello?"

"Who is this?" It's a guys voice.

"Uh... Jason. Jason Grace." Nico looks at me with confusion.

"When the hell did she-"

"Daddy?" That would be Piper. My eyes widen noticeable. Nico looks nervous, "Daddy what are you doing on my phone?"

"How do you know Jason Grace?"

"Uh..." I feel uncomfortable.

She laughs, "Daddy, we go to school together."

I'm on the phone with Tristan McLean... Oh my god.

"And you... Text?"

"Daddy, Il est celui qui ont ... Vous savez." She chuckles. I think she's blushing.

"Oh, he's that one." He says.

"Daddy, can I please have my phone back?" I hear a shuffle and Piper starts speaking again, "Sorry about that. My dad apparently stole my phone." I laugh into the phone. I am so relieved, "I hope he didn't interrupt anything."

"No, nothing."

"Good. We're about to watch a movie, so I'll text you?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." I hang up and release my breath.

"What happened?" I tell him what went down during my conversation, "That's intense."

"Yeah." I chuckle.

_**Dad says he's sorry.**_

**It's cool.**

_**You sure?**_

**Yeah, just freaked me out a bit.**

_**Lol.**_

"So what are you looking up?" I ask Nico.

"This." He's pulled up a Howcast video, "Listen to this and don't do anything they tell you to do."

"I can do that." The video is the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I feel dumber after watching this, no joke.

"Alright, now that we've seen this. How do you plan on approaching this?"

We spend the next few hours rehearsing. I do well with lines. I can do that. The problem is, I don't know if I can over take my stage fright in this situation. I'm terrified.

I spend Saturday hanging out with Thalia, since our father has pretty much locked us upstairs. (Don't ask).

Sunday I manage to get out of the house as my father will be out until six, Thalia is having Luke over anyway. I don't think she'll miss me too terribly.

I call Piper up as I escape my imprisonment... I mean leave my house.

"Hello?" She answers.

"Hey. I'm heading over."

"Cool... I just got here, do I have time to change?"

Just then I pull into the parking lot, "I'm in the lot right now."

"Ah crap, so am I. Well you get to see me hoe faced."

"I get to see you what?" I ask turning off the ignition. I climb out of the car.

"Hoe faced."

"What the fuck is hoe face?" I ask climbing out of my car.

"Why don't you look?" I hear through the phone and behind me.

I turn around quickly, in an instant I feel myself shake with surprise.

I see _Piper_ the model Piper. Six inch heels, making her effectively taller. Her legs look miles long even though I know she's only five three an a half. She's wearing high waisted shorts that may or may not be denim panties they're so short. She's wearing one of those crop top things (I think that's what they're called?) With thin straps and floral print. She's wearing a pearl choker with a bow on the side that kind of confuses me. To make things even odder, she's wearing make up. Clearly, she's wearing pink lipstick, but she's also dawning dark... What's it called? Smokey eyes? I think it looks more black than anything. Her hair takes my interest as it seems to have been curled to an unnatural perfection. Beautiful, but of course it is, Piper's a beautiful girl, after all.

As I take in her appearance I notice a few things about her that I've never noticed before. One, she has acne scars, I know that because clearly makeup was used to cover them up. However she probably either wiped it off or it came off somehow and the marks are more noticeable than they naturally are.

Two she's got huge boobs. I've seen her in her underwear, but never has it occurred to me to outright stare at her breasts. Now they're taking center stage. They're giant. They could probably pop out of her top at any given moment if she were to jump. Just saying she's got huge tits and I've never noticed until now.

Three, she has the perfect belly button for piercing... A little something I picked up from listening to Thalia every now and then. I just happened to be looking at her belly button before I said my real third reason.

Four, I don't know how I feel about her looking this way. I mean, obviously the teenage boy in my mind was so enjoying the view of her. But the rational part of my mind (yes even I have a rational part of my mind), just couldn't see Piper. My mind saw someone else. She didn't look like herself. I don't know how she feels about it, but I think I like my Piper better.

She's laughing when I come back to my senses, "I know, hoe faced and all you didn't recognize me."

"This is a change of pace."

"Do you like it?" She asks as we head into the woods.

I shrug, "I can't imagine you're comfortable in those shoes."

"Actually, when you live in them, they're pretty comfortable."

"You live in a hoodie." I say.

"Well, I mean, at school I live in a hoodie. But that's a new development. I'm usually in heels and crap."

"Hm... Interesting."

"How are we?"

"Good, how about you?"

"I'm ready to change. You won't mind if I do right?"

"Nope."

"You don't get to watch." She jokes.

"Then I do mind." I retaliate. I see her cheeks flush.

"Well, suck a dick." She shrugs.

"I've seen you in your bra and panties before. It's nothing new."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome."

When we reach the house she pulls out her keys, "You can come in if you want."

"Sure." I smile walking into the house.

"I'll go take off the hoe face and awkwardly sexual clothing." She gestures to herself before disappearing into the bedroom. I take a seat on her couch and start fiddling with my iPod. I'm internally freaking out. I know she's only a room away from me. That makes this the moment of do or die.

And for crying out loud I'm just asking her to be my girlfriend! Like, what is my issue!? I'm not telling her I'm terminally ill or anything actually important!

When she comes out of the bedroom, having thrown her hair back and changed into sweats, I take a deep breath knowing that if I don't do this now, I'm never going to.

"So, what's up?" She sits down on the couch beside me.

The usual, I just really want to date you, "Not much."

"What's today's topic?"

"Hm..." I think about how to approach this, "How about... Music."

"Music?"

"Yeah, tell me about a song that changed your life."

She brings her legs into a crisscrossed position, "A song that changed my life..." She pulls out her iPod, "Give me a second to find it."

I scoot closer to her when she pulls out her earphones. We listen to the song she's dubbed most inspirational to her. I smile listening to the lyrics.

When the song's over she starts to defend herself, "I heard at a time when I really needed to... And even now whenever I'm sad, that's what I listen to." I smile. You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of music they listen to.

"Piper can I ask a favor of you?"

"You absolutely can." She smiles.

"I want you to listen to something that I recently recorded. I want your opinion on it."

"Okay... Is it crass?" She asks judgmentally.

I can't help but laugh, "No, just listen."

I play the song, at first my anxiety is through the roof but as the song settles I feel better. With each lyric I watch her smile widen and a surge of pride rush through me. She's enthralled which has me getting all worked up about how I'm going to follow this up. With words and stuff...

Here's the song,

_I know a girl who is,_

_Kind and wise._

_She's a quiet mystery,_

_With her I have no history._

_It's with her I feel at ease._

_But it can't be._

_No, we can't be._

_...~..._

_Do I dare?_

_Do I dare?_

_Do I? Do I dare,_

_Disturb the universe?_

_To love her._

_...~..._

_She hears me speak._

_Even then she thinks I'm not a freak._

_She never stops to hold my hand._

_She doesn't know that's what I can't stand._

_I wish I could show her,_

_That all I want to do is love her._

_So I'm asking,_

_...~..._

_Do I dare?_

_Should I dare?_

_Would I even dare,_

_Disturb the universe?_

_To love her?_

_Can I love her?_

_...~..._

_Please forgive me love._

_I was_

_Too busy, loving all that you do._

_To notice,_

_You are beautiful too._

_...~..._

_I would dare._

_I would dare._

_Yes I would dare._

_I would dare,_

_Disturb the universe._

_To love you._

_To love you._

_I love you._

She smiles softly when the song is over, "Catchy as hell."

Don't you dare toy with me you cruel girl! You have to know what this means. You do know what this means right?

I let the silence sink in. She doesn't know what this means. Fuck me.

"So... Can I?"

"Can you what?" She asks naively.

"Love you?" I ask, "May I disturb the universe?"

She sits in a state of shocked awe, "What?"

"Will you allow my affections?" I ask in the joking way we have grown accustomed to.

"But... But... Huh? I mean... What? Why?"

"J'ai des sentiment pour toi." I say from memory.

She chuckles, still trying to keep up the joke of the saying's meaning. "You have said something?"

"Yes I have. But according to Google translate I have said, 'I have feelings for you.' Which I do." She's breathless so I keep talking, "Look, I know I'm complicated. And I know we couldn't go on a real date because my dad would flip his shit. I understand that we'd be messy and that we only formally met about six weeks ago.

"But you're an amazing person, and a stellar friend... Plus we've been hanging out for more than a few hours so we already have Romeo and Juliet beat." I rehearsed that part. Now I wish I hadn't said it, "Um... But I completely understand if you don't-"

She leans forward, she gives my lips a quick peck. Hardly a second long, but as paralyzing as an hour long make out session.

She gives a flickering smile as she says, "Stop with the pageantry. Stop reciting lines. Ditch the note cards. Drop the formalities. You're not following a script. You're not auditioning to be my boyfriend." I would beg to differ, "Ask me like it's coming from the heart."

What is my heart saying?

"Please date me."

Wow, my heart is a mood killer.

"It would be a pleasure." She hugs me quickly. I think so slowly, processing her answer, that I don't wrap my arms around her, "School doesn't change. We can keep it hidden. No one has to know."

And this is why I love her. She doesn't care that she'll still walk the halls all by herself waiting for a quick beating. All she cares about is me. She cares about me being happy. Safe from my father. She fucking cares and I love her.

"But here, I can do this." I say kissing her cheek which pinkens instantly. She tries to hide away her embarrassment. But just leans forward kissing my nose, sending a tingling shiver through my bones.

"Yeah." Her fingers run up my left arm. Softly tickling the skin her nails happen to graze, "Here we can do that."

"What do you want to do now?" I ask feeling the looming stress from asking her out lift away.

"Dance." She says.

I chuckle, "I don't really dance."

She takes my hands, "You don't really understand then." Without music she starts swaying, "When it comes to dancing, it's not how you look. It's all about how you feel."

"Well, I feel like an idiot."

"Then find a new feeling." She says simply.

"We need music."

"We can make our own." She smirks.

"You sing then."

"But I can't sing."

"Try. Make something up. Sing what you feel and I'll dance to what you sing."

She bites her lip, "Don't make fun of me since I can't sing well."

"Don't make fun of me because I can't dance."

She starts humming a random tune as I start moving through the room.

"Give me words." I tell her.

"What about?"

"Anything." I see her smile before she opens her mouth.

_I think I'm smiling but I can't tell_

_You're eyes are daring me_

_Taunting me, but you know well_

_How I feel, and what I want to be_

_So why don't you_

_Make your move_

_I know you want to _

_Just give me your hand_

_And I'll follow through_

_...~..._

_Can we dance like the stars_

_With the only rhythm in our hearts?_

_Can we dance all night_

_With the moon our only light?_

_Will you sing with me_

_And make this moment_

_Ours?_

_And if I'm lucky_

_By the time dawn arrives_

_Will you please_

_Baby please _

_Be mine?_

She's taken my hands and begun to dance through her living room with me. She moves with much more finesse than I do. Her movements are clear and certain unlike her wavering notes. She's uncomfortable singing for me, but she'll do it anyway. It's kind of sweet. I pick up where she left off.

_I can't tell why you're holding back_

_You're hesitant_

_But, dear, I'm ready to attack_

_Oh, I want you_

_Think I need you_

_I'll do anything I have to_

_Just to know you're in this_

_I have to know your heart is true_

_You know I'll follow through_

_...~..._

_Can we dance like the stars_

_With the only rhythm in our hearts?_

_Can we dance all night_

_With the moon our only light?_

_Will you sing with me_

_And make this moment_

_Ours?_

_And if I'm lucky_

_By the time dawn arrives_

_Baby would you please_

_Be mine?_

She's got me spinning in fast circles. She leads me, weaving us in and out of her furniture's way. She's jumped into my arms as she sings the next part of our improvised song.

_Can't you feel it?_

_Can't you see it?_

_That I'd never let you go._

_Oh, I need you_

_Wherever I go_

_I will_

_Let my love show_

_Darling just you know_

_I love you so_

I kiss her cheek before I let her continue.

_Can we dance like the stars_

_With the only rhythm in our hearts?_

_Can we dance all night_

_With the moon our only light?_

_Will you sing with me_

_And make this moment_

_Ours?_

_And if I'm lucky_

_By the time dawn arrives_

_Baby _

_You are mine_

I finish for her, placing her feet gently on the ground.

_Can we dance like the stars_

_With the only rhythm in our hearts?_

_Can we dance all night_

_With the moon our only light?_

_Will you sing with me_

_And make this moment_

_Ours?_

_And if I'm lucky_

_By the time dawn arrives_

_Oh by the time dawn arrives_

_Yes by the time dawn arrives_

_You're mine_

The both of us laugh our way back to the couch, "You see? That wasn't so bad."

"It wasn't." I agree.

A small silence slips between us before she speaks up, "How are we going to do this?"

I look at her fondly, "What?"

"This?" She asks grabbing my hand.

"Oh..." I observe her soft hands, I don't want to ever let go of them, "I'll make you a deal."

"A deal?" She chuckles.

"Yeah, a deal." I sit up straighter, "We can each tell one person. Our texts are free reign. But here is where we can be a real couple."

She nods, "I'd be willing to try that." For a moment the both of us forget where we are. We forget what this conversation means. I know we both forget because she and I both lean in for the same thing. A kiss.

A quick, flighty kiss, that makes the world stop spinning. I could sit here kissing her for an eternity.

She puts her forehead on mine.

As we're looking at one another a thought pops into my head, "Question."

"Answer." She replies.

"How do you say, I have said something in French?"

She chuckles, "J'ai dit quelque chose."

"Slower?" I ask.

"Would you like me to teach you how to speak French?"

"Yes!" I say legitimately excited for this.

I'm dating Piper now... I feel like I'm making the most ridiculous face right now, but you can't see it even if I were. On our 'first date' she teaches me some French. We laugh, we kiss, and just for her, I dance some more.

Maybe I'm still bad at dancing, but at least I can savor the feeling of joy I get knowing Piper's leading me through each clumsy movement.


End file.
